MINISTER FOR WOMEN

Work-life Balance

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what recent representations she has received regarding the achievement of an acceptable work-life balance by women with children who work outside the home.

Meg Munn: The Department has received a number of representations on work-life balance as part of the recent Work and Families: Choice and Flexibility" consultation.

Post-conflict Reconstruction

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what discussions she has had with ministerial colleagues about protecting the rights of women in situations of post-conflict reconstruction.

Meg Munn: I fully support the positive action taken by the Government to protect the rights of women in situations of post-conflict reconstruction. The UK is committed to the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security (October 2000) and is developing a Government-wide Action Plan to support its implementation.

Pensions (Gender Equality)

Phyllis Starkey: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on gender equality in future pension provision.

Meg Munn: I recently discussed the issue of women and pensions with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and the EOC. One of the Government's principles for pension reform is fair outcomes for women and carers and any proposals for reform will be judged against this.

Gender Pay Gap

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what steps the Government is taking to reduce the gender pay gap.

Meg Munn: The Women and Work Commission will make recommendations on tackling the gender pay gap this autumn. We are funding the Equal Pay Panel of Experts, developed by the TUC, to give free advice sessions to organisations looking to carry out equal pay reviews.

Domestic Violence

Mary Creagh: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what plans the Government has to improve the services offered to women seeking refuge from domestic violence.

Meg Munn: The Home Office and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister are working together to develop a set of accredited occupational standards to ensure quality of service for a wide range of professions across the diverse domestic violence sector.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Unfair Dismissal

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will review law and practice for dealing with claims of unfair dismissal.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Government introduced new Dispute Resolution Regulations and Tribunal Rules of Procedure in October 2004. These are designed to improve the chance of workplace disputes being resolved in the workplace, without having to resort to full tribunal hearings. This includes claims for unfair dismissal. We have committed to carrying out a review of the Regulations in October 2006, two years after their introduction.

Microgeneration

Alan Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what role renewable and sustainable microgeneration will play in achieving renewable electricity generation targets set out in the Energy White Paper.

Malcolm Wicks: Renewable and sustainable microgeneration has the potential to make an important contribution towards the achievement of the renewable electricity generation targets set out in the Energy White Paper. The range of technologies included under the microgeneration umbrella; the different stages of their development; and the fact that the overall industry is in a formative stage makes it difficult to quantify the future costs and benefits of microgeneration.
	The Department has recently put out a tender for some research to try to gain a clearer picture of the real costs and benefits of these technologies and their potential role in the energy market. This study will feed into work on the Government's strategy for the promotion of microgeneration which will be published next year.

Microgeneration

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he is taking to promote microgeneration.

Malcolm Wicks: We are already doing much to promote microgeneration technologies. For example we have:
	provided £41 million of support for solar power projects and £12.5 million of support for household and community renewables projects through the Clear Skies Initiative;
	ensured that most microgeneration technologies benefit from a 5 percent. VAT level.
	amended the Renewables Obligation Order to make it easier for smaller generators to claim Renewable Obligation Certificates;
	issued Planning Policy Statement 22 last year to establish that local authorities could set targets for on-site renewable generation.
	In addition, I recently launched a consultation that gives stakeholders the opportunity to feed into the development of the Government strategy to promote microgeneration, which will be published next year.

Manufacturing (Yorkshire/Humber)

Kali Mountford: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he is taking to assist manufacturing companies in Yorkshire and Humber.

Alun Michael: The Regional Development Agency, Yorkshire Forward, has made manufacturing a key priority in the Regional Economic Strategy and manufacturing companies are benefiting from its schemes to support improvements in productivity, innovation and skills.

Minimum Wage

James McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many workers he estimates will benefit from the recently announced increase in the minimum wage; and how many of these workers he estimates will be women.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The DTI estimates that around 1.3 million workers will receive a guaranteed pay rise from the October 2005 uprating of the national minimum wage. The DTI estimates that around 900,000 will be women. These estimates are based on the April 2004 annual survey of hours and earnings and expected average earnings growth between 2004 and 2005.

Manufacturing (Stoke-on-Trent)

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action he is taking to help manufacturing companies in Stoke-on-Trent.

Alun Michael: Advantage West Midlands has a number of initiatives in place to support manufacturing in Stoke. The Manufacturing Advisory Service and Business Links provide specialist advice and support to manufacturing whilst grants available include selective finance for investment and grants for research and development.

Hydrogen Energy

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the Government's hydrogen energy strategy.

Malcolm Wicks: Hydrogen has significant potential over the next 20–30 years to contribute to cost-competitive CO 2 reductions and enhanced security of supply for the UK. I therefore announced last month a Government commitment of some £15 million over four years for a UK wide hydrogen and fuel cell demonstration programme.

Coal Compensation Claims

Eric Illsley: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the investigations taking place into the firms dealing with coal compensation claims.

Malcolm Wicks: I refer my hon. Friend to my written statement to the House of 30 June 2005 and the written statement I made today.

Building Industry (Capacity)

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions he has had with the construction industry, the Construction Industry Training Board and the trade unions on developing capacity in the building industry.

Alun Michael: Recent ministerial meetings have taken place with various construction industry representative organisations (18 July 2005) and the Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians (30 June 2005). Issues discussed were wide ranging, and included the development of skills and capacity in the construction industry. I have also attended a number of events organised by the industry and have recently hosted a reception at DTI for leading industry representatives.
	Under the aegis of the Strategic Forum for Construction, under the chairmanship of Peter Rogers; which comprises senior members of the industry, itsclients and which is supported by the DTI, CITB-Construction-Skills is working with other sector skills councils to carry out a thorough skills needs analysis for the industry.
	The Strategic Forum is also currently setting up a dedicated group to coordinate the industry's efforts for the Olympics. The work on the skills implications of construction will be a core element of this coordinated effort. I have also attended a number of events organised by the industry and have recently hosted a reception at DTI for industry representatives.

Carbon Capture Technology

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assistance his Department has given to the development of carbon capture technology in the oil and gas industries.

Malcolm Wicks: Carbon capture is a technology which is currently in the early stages of development rather than the deployment phase. I recently published a Carbon Abatement Technologies Strategy for Fossil Fuel Use". The new strategy is available in the House of Commons Library.
	At the same time I also announced some £25 million in capital grants from next year for demonstrating these technologies. This is in addition to £20 million we have allocated for R&D into carbon abatement technologies over the period 2005–06 to 2007–08. Companies in the oil and gas industries will be eligible to apply for such support.

Advertising Expenditure

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much the (a) Department and (b) non-departmental bodies for which the Department is responsible has spent on advertising, broken down by media type in the last three years.

Alan Johnson: Expenditure on advertising by my Department through COI for 2002–03, 2003–04 and 2004–05 was £11,533,364, £4,173,758 and £2,009,800 respectively. Figures include advertising by the Small Business Service and exclude VAT.
	Records of expenditure on advertising by non-departmental bodies are not held centrally and could be produced only at disproportionate cost.

Clear Skies Programme

Colin Challen: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will extend the Clear Skies Programme beyond March 2006.

Malcolm Wicks: In September 2004 the Clear Skies Programme was extended to March 2006 with an increase in budget from £10 million to £12.5 million. There are no plans to extend the Programme beyond this deadline. We are currently developing a new low carbon buildings programme, (as recommended in the Renewable Innovation Review—February 2004) to supersede both the Clear Skies and the Major Photovoltaics Programmes. A consultation on the framework of the new Programme was launched on June 23 and a copy of the consultation document can be found on the DTI website at the following link: http://www.dti.gov.uk/energy/consultations/index.shtml.

Copyright

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the Government's plans to extend the period covered by copyright from 50 to 100 years.

Alan Johnson: I refer the hon. Member to my answer to the question from the hon. Member for Maldon and East Chelmsford (Mr. Whittingdale) on 27 June 2005, Official Report, column 1228W.

Correspondence

Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he will reply to the letter of 24 May from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire about the use of hydrogen gas for transport modes.

Malcolm Wicks: The letter, which was originally sent to my noble Friend, Lord Whitty and was subsequently transferred to this Department for response, was misplaced. It has now been relocated and I will ensure that you receive a response shortly. I apologise for the delay in dealing with your constituent's concerns.

Development Funding (North-East)

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate he has made of future European enterprise and other economic development funding for the North East region of the UK.

Alun Michael: The principal sources of EU funding for enterprise and economic development are the European Structural Funds. As the European Council of 16–17 June did not reach agreement on the EC budget for the next Financial Perspective from 2007 to 2013, the overall level of future EU spending on the Structural Funds has still to be decided. The UK argues that future EU spending in this area should be focused on the poorest member states. It is not possible, at this stage, to estimate the level of any future UK receipts for an individual region.

Disabled Staff

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many staff are registered with his Department as being disabled, broken down by grade; and what the equivalent figures were for each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Alan Johnson: The Department collects disability data on a voluntary basis. The information tabulated as follows is extracted from our personnel records database and gives the number and percentages of staff with disabilities by bands in DTI headquarters (including small business services) for each of the last five years.
	
		
			  Number at April 2001 Percentage at April 2001 Number at April 2002 Percentage at April 2002 Number at April 2003 Percentage at April 2003 
		
		
			 Band A 92 7.6 116 9.2 106 9.4 
			 BandB 81 4.5 107 5.8 107 5.8 
			 BandC 44 3.5 62 4.4 71 4.8 
			 SCS 7 2.9 11 4.6 12 4.4 
			 Fast Stream 2 2.1 2 2.0 2 1.7 
			 Unknown — — — — 1 — 
			 Total 226 4.9 298 6.0 299 6.0 
		
	
	
		
			  Number at April 2004 Percentage at April 2004 Number at April 2005 Percentage at April 2005 
		
		
			 Band A 97 10.8 85 11.2 
			 BandB 119 6.8 119 7.4 
			 BandC 87 6.1 81 5.6 
			 SCS 11 4.7 9 3.9 
			 Fast Stream 0 0.0 2 2.0 
			 Unknown 1 — — — 
			 Total 315 6.2 296 7.1

Electricity Generation

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list (a) the sites, (b) the level of subsidy and (c) the electricity generation output of each application that has been supported under the Clear Skies scheme.

Malcolm Wicks: The Clear Skies scheme is split into two grant streams, one for householders and one for community groups. Under stream one for householders approximately 5,500 installations have been given financial support and it would be inappropriate to give individual site details due to the data protection act. Under stream two there have been 304 community applications supported and a detailed list of these can be found on the Clear Skies website at:
	http://www.clear-skies.org/communities/ApplicationGuidelines.aspx.
	The grant level for each eligible technology on the household side is as follows:
	Solar water heating—400 per installation, regardless of size.
	Wind—1,000 per kw installed up to a maximum of 5,000.
	Hydro—1,000 per kw installed up to a maximum of 5,000.
	Ground source Heat Pumps—1200 regardless of size.
	Room heaters/stoves with automated wood pellet feed—600 regardless of size.
	Wood fuelled boiler systems—1500 regardless of size.

Employment Act

Jimmy Hood: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the effects of the introduction of the Employment Act 2002 on the (a) working patterns and (b) employment opportunities for parents with disabled children; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Government have introduced a number of measures to help working parents and parents with disabled children participate within the labour force.
	The Employment Act 2002 gave parents more choice and flexibility in balancing work and family life; extending the period of maternity leave and pay, introducing paid paternity and adoption leave for the first time, and providing the right to request flexible working. The scope of the flexible working law is wider for parents of disabled children, enabling requests to be made up until the child's 18th birthday. This recognises the particular challenges these parents face in balancing work and caring responsibilities.
	The flexible working law has been a success. Almost a quarter (22 per cent.) of those employees eligible to make a request have done so in the last two years, and over this period the proportion of requests being refused has declined by half. Due to the small proportion of employees with disabled children it is difficult to assess the specific impact on this group.
	The Government have provided support and guidance to a number of organisations, including those who have an interest in parents of disabled children, such as Contact a Family. This is to ensure that these families are able to fully benefit from the opportunities that the measures provide, and help them find the right working patterns and employment to suit their needs.

Energy (Research)

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much public funding has gone into scientific research into (a) renewable energy systems and (b) nuclear energy in each of the last five years.

Malcolm Wicks: The following table sets out the expenditure of the DTI and Research Councils on research and development for nuclear fission, fusion and renewables between 2000–01 and 2004–05.
	
		£ million
		
			  2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04(1) 2004–05(2) 
		
		
			 Nuclear fission 0.13 2.32 2.41 2.31 2.32 
			 Nuclear fusion 17.0 14.4 14.6 15.63 19.53 
			 Renewable energy(3) 15.46 18.82 24.40 29.07 25.16 
		
	
	In addition further research relating to energy is included in the work of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research which has some £10 million funding from research councils over 2000–05, and in the work of the Carbon Trust. The UK also participates in international collaborative energy research via the EU and the International Energy Agency.
	1 Includes elements of estimated expenditure
	2 Estimated spend with some elements not included
	3 Includes full range of renewables and also Research Council spend on carbon capture, energy storage and networks.

Energy (Research)

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the Government plans to limit investment in research and development solely to systems analysis relating to hydrogen infrastructure and novel non-nuclear hydrogen production technology.

Malcolm Wicks: Hydrogen has significant potential over the next 20 to 30 years to contribute to cost competitive CO 2 reductions and enhanced security of supply for the UK. The Government are committed to supporting research, development, and demonstration projects for hydrogen and fuel cell technologies.
	On the 14 June the Government announced a commitment of some £15 million over four years for a UK wide hydrogen and fuel cell demonstration programme. The precise nature of the scheme is still being developed and no money has yet been earmarked for specific projects. It follows that no particular technical application has been ruled out.
	The money for the demonstration programme is in addition to the £4 million per year which is dedicated to hydrogen research and development across the public sector. Of this some £2.5 million is funded by the EPSRC, including the Sustainable Hydrogen Energy Consortium funded under the EPSRC's Supergen programme. Additional funding for some £2.5 million is funded by the EPSRC, including the Sustainable Hydrogen Energy Consortium funded under the EPSRC's Supergen programme. Additional funding for applied research and development comes from the collaborative research and development product under the Department's Technology Programme.

Export Control Organisation

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  pursuant to the Answer of 13 June 2005, Official Report, column 78W, on the Export Control Organisation, through which mechanisms he will announce his decision on (a) the future of the Export Control Organisation and (b) whether to delegate authority to issue export licences to a private contractor; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  whether he is required to inform (a) other Government departments, (b) hon. Members and (c) the public that a decision has been made on whether to delegate authority to issue export licences to a private contractor; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: We have now reviewed the options for outsourcing the work of the Export Control Organisation. On the basis of a thorough analysis we have concluded that in this particular case, there are doubts about whether outsourcing the licensing function would achieve sufficient additional benefits. We have therefore decided not to proceed with outsourcing these activities. Industry and other interested parties are being informed of this conclusion through various channels.

Export Credits Guarantee Department

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the Export Credits Guarantee Department has received notification from Biwater that its contract has been cancelled by the Tanzanian authorities for non-performance.

Ian Pearson: Biwater has advised the Export Credits Guarantee Department (ECGD) that the contract between the Tanzanian project company, City Water Services Ltd. (CWS), and the Dar Es Salaam Water Authority, was not formally terminated by the water authority, but instead, on 1 June 2005, Tanzanian Government entities took possession of CWS's assets and premises and simultaneously deported the three senior Biwater executives who were responsible for running CWS. Biwater and CWS took the view that those acts amounted to a repudiation of the contract and formally accepted that repudiation, thus bringing the contract to an end.

Export Credits Guarantee Department

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State forTrade and Industry what procedures the Export Credits Guarantee Department follows where the contractor defaults due to cancellation of a contract by the purchasing country on the grounds of non-performance.

Ian Pearson: Non-performance is not an insured risk under an ECGD insurance policy. Termination of a contract only becomes relevant when an exporter makes a claim under the policy for amounts unpaid under the contract. ECGD would consider the terms of the policy and the terms of the contract in order to determine whether the exporter had a valid claim under the policy.
	The same procedures apply to overseas investments that are covered under an ECGD Overseas Investment Insurance policy.
	Where ECGD provides a guarantee to a bank, it may be entitled to recoup from the exporter the amount of any guarantee payments which it might make to the bank up to a pre-agreed limit (usually 10 per cent. of ECGD's maximum liability).
	ECGD would attempt to minimise loss or make recoveries by, among other things, directing the exporter to pursue any available remedies including arbitration or other proceedings.

Export Credits Guarantee Department

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry in how many instances the Export Credits Guarantee Department has sought recourse from companies in receipt of ECGD guarantees or insurance in the last five years.

Ian Pearson: None.

Export Credits Guarantee Department

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on how many occasions in the last five years contracts underwritten by the Export Credits Guarantee Department have been terminated by the buyer; and if he will list the (a) countries, (b) dates and (c) projects in relation to contracts which have been terminated.

Ian Pearson: The Export Credits Guarantee Department (ECGD) would only keep a record of a contract that has been terminated if a claim has been paid on that contract. ECGD have not paid a claim on a contract that has been terminated in the past five years.
	However, I refer the hon. Member for North Norfolk to the answer given today to PQ No. 12596.

Export Credits Guarantee Department

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what physical assets the Export Credits Guarantee Department has as collateral on loans guaranteed by the Department.

Ian Pearson: The Export Credits Guarantee Department do not hold any physical assets, but does have registered charges as security on certain assets which are financed with the assistance of ECGD guarantees.

Group 4 Securicor

Doug Henderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much was spent by his Department and public bodies and agencies for which he is responsible on security contracts with Group 4 Securicor in 2004–05; and if he will list (a) the nature and location of services provided and (b) the start and end dates of such contracts.

Alan Johnson: The Department had a contract with Group 4 Securicor for the provision of manned guarding and reception at Atholl House, Aberdeen between August 1993 and April 2005 at a cost in 2004–05 of £105,526.
	Public bodies sponsored by the Department are responsible for their own security arrangements and such information is not held centrally.
	Letter from Ron Marchant to Mr. Henderson, dated 21 July 2005
	I am responding to this parliamentary question, tabled on 15 July 2005, regarding amounts spent on security contracts with Group 4 Securicor in the past year, including details of the nature and location of services provided, and the start and end dates of any such current contracts.
	The Patent Office has neither spent any sums, or hold such contracts with this company.
	Letter from Tim Moss to Mr. Henderson, dated 21 July 2005
	I am responding to your recent Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on behalf of Companies House, which is an Executive Agency of the DTI.
	Companies House has not used Group 4 Securicor for any services within the last year.
	Letter from Desmond Flynn to Mr. Henderson, dated 21 July 2005
	The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has asked me to reply to you directly on behalf of The Insolvency Service in respect of your question (833/2005) asking how much was spent on security contracts with Group 4 Securicor in the past year; the nature and location of services provided and the start and end dates of any current such contracts.
	Between April 2004 and March 2005 The Insolvency Service spent £131,686.77 with Group 4 Securicor, for security guarding of our Birmingham HQ building. This contract commenced on 5 June 2000 and came to an end on 4 June 2005 after the contract was re-tendered.
	Letter from Jeanne Spinks to Mr. Henderson, dated 21 July 2005
	You asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how much was spent by his Department, and any public body or agency for which he is responsible, on security contracts with Group 4 Securicor in the past year; the nature and location of services provided and the start and end dates of any current such contracts. I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Employment Tribunals Service (ETS).
	The Employment Tribunals Service has not held any contracts with Group 4 Securicor in the past year.
	Letter from Iain MacGregor to Mr. Henderson, dated 21 July 2005
	The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has asked me to reply on behalf of the National Weights and Measures Laboratory (NWML) to your question regarding the amount spent on Security contracts with Group 4 Securicor, in the past year.
	NWML has not spent any money on security contracts with Group 4 Securicor in the past year, thus we submit a nil return.

Industrial Diseases

Paddy Tipping: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the (a) minimum, (b) maximum and (c) average payment made in respect of (i) chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and (ii) vibration white finger has been in (A) Nottinghamshire and (B) the UK.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 19 July 2005
	The figures requested for payments are as follows:
	
		£
		
			  Chronic obstructive  pulmonary disease Vibration white finger 
			  Nottinghamshire(1) UK Nottinghamshire UK 
		
		
			 Minimum 0.57 0.57 195.94 65.08 
			 Maximum 367,053 367,053 46,661 113,698 
			 Average 4,254 6,356 9,018 8,815 
		
	
	(1)Nottinghamshire covers the constituencies of Ashfield, Bassetlaw, Broxtowe, Gedling, Mansfield, Newark, Nottingham East, Nottingham North, Nottingham South, Rushcliffe and Sherwood.

Internal Market Services Directive

Ian Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the impact of the draft EU Directive on Services in the Internal Market on the (a) rights of workers under employment law, (b) health and safety regulations and (c) consumer protection law in England and Wales;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the effect of the EU Directive on Services in the Internal Market on UK employment, broken down by sector.

Ian Pearson: Negotiations on the draft Directive on Services in the Internal Market are at an early stage. Until the text is finalised it is difficult to assess its precise effects. DTIs Partial Regulatory Impact Assessment for the proposal can be found at www.dti.gov.uk/ccp/topics2/pdf2/servicesria.pdf. An independent consultancy, Copenhagen Economics, has assessed the economic impact of the Directive. They predicted that the Services Directive would add £25 billion to the EU economy, create an extra 600,000 jobs, boost EU GDP by 0.6 per cent. and lead to an increase in real wages of 0.4 per cent. Copies of both documents are available in the Libraries of the House.

Medical Research Council

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what funding has been provided from the Medical Research Council for research into myeloma in each financial year since 1997–98.

Alan Johnson: The figures for MRC expenditure for research on myeloma since 1997 are as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
		
		
			 1997–98 440,000 
			 1998–99 410,000 
			 1999–2000 390,000 
			 2000–01 360,000 
			 2001–02 420,000 
			 2002–03 0 
			 2003–04 550,000 
		
	
	These figures do not include two studies, Myeloma VII and Myeloma VIII which took place between 1997 and 2004, which were funded through MRC's Clinical Trials Unit.

Medical Research Council

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the total cost of consultants employed by the Medical Research Council has been in each of the last five years for which records are available.

Alan Johnson: In the last five years the MRC has spent the following amounts on management consultancy and other Professional fees including legal, other audit fees, professional utility advice, professional accommodation advice and computing systems support.
	
		
			  £000 
		
		
			 2000–01 1,172 
			 2001–02 3,396 
			 2002–03 3,287 
			 2003–04 7,828 
			 2004–05 10,337

Miners' Compensation

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what account was taken by his Department in agreeing the costs schedule for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and vibration white finger mining compensation claims of payments to solicitors for processing unsuccessful claims.

Malcolm Wicks: The framework of the costs agreement in both schemes is that no costs are paid by the Department for unsuccessful claims.

Miners' Compensation

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many claims for (a) chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and (b) vibration white finger have been submitted in (i) Bassetlaw and (ii) the United Kingdom for miners' compensation by (A) Moss Solicitors, (A) Brm Solicitors, (C) Beresfords Solicitors, (D) AMS Law Solicitors, (E) Wake Smith Solicitors and (F) Union of Democratic Mineworkers.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 18 July 2005
	The figures for claimants' representatives are as follows:
	
		
			  Chronic obstructive  pulmonary disease Vibration white finger 
			 Solicitor Bassetlaw United Kingdom Bassetlaw United Kingdom 
		
		
			 AMS Law 399 9,603 516 4,856 
			 Beresfords 1,388 79,078 739 10,870 
			 BRM 262 5,219 0 1 
			 Moss Solicitors 461 7,525 513 6,734 
			 UDM 1,141 15,524 1,017 10,511 
			 Wake Smith 289 4,049 6 326 
			 Total 3,940 120,998 2,791 33,298

Nuclear Power

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many people work (a) directly and (b) indirectly in the nuclear industry in (i) the UK, (ii)Lancashire and (iii) Cumbria.

Malcolm Wicks: The DTI has not conducted work to collate employment figures for the nuclear industry. The numbers of employees given in the following table are based on surveys by the Nuclear Industry Association (NIA) and Cogent Sector Skills Council. These include both for the civil nuclear programme and the defence programme.
	
		
			 Employment Direct Indirect(2) 
		
		
			 UK 54,000 108,000 to 160,000 
			 Lanes 3,500 7,000 to 12,000 
			 Cumbria 11,500 23,000 to 35,000 
		
	
	(2) The figures for indirect employment are given as a range because of difficulty in assessing indirect employment.

Nuclear Power

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the level of UK investment in the international thermonuclear experimental reactor is.

Alan Johnson: The UK will not invest directly in the international thermonuclear experimental reactor (ITER) as it is not a party to the agreement establishing the project. The EU contribution to the project will be provided through the Euratom budget and by the host state, France.

Nuclear Power

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate he has made of the cost of replacing the UK's nuclear power stations.

Malcolm Wicks: No estimate has been made of the cost for replacing the UK's nuclear power stations, either with new nuclear stations or other types of generation.

Oil Producers

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list sub-Saharan African countries which produce substantial quantities of oil.

Malcolm Wicks: The following table lists oil production in 2004 from sub-Saharan African countries.
	
		
			 Country 2004 oil production (thousand barrels per day) Percentage share of global production 
		
		
			 Angola 991 1.3 
			 Cameroon 62 0.1 
			 Chad 168 0.2 
			 Republic of Congo 240 0.3 
			 Equatorial Guinea 350 0.4 
			 Gabon 235 0.3 
			 Nigeria 2,508 3.2 
			 Sudan 301 0.4 
		
	
	Source:
	BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2005

Telephone Services

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent steps the Department has taken to prevent silent telephone calls by commercial power diallers; and if the Department will support a policy of introducing recorded messages to inform recipients of silent telephone calls of what has happened.

Alun Michael: The Department introduced the Telephone Preference Service scheme, under the Telecommunications (Data Protection and Privacy) Regulations 1999, which provides protection to subscribers from unsolicited direct marketing calls. Although the Telephone Preference Service was not designed to provide a solution to silent calls, consumers who register receive significantly fewer marketing calls, including silent calls that are made by commercial power diallers. Marketing calls are the only calls which are eliminated by registering for this service.
	The Communications Act 2003 confers powers on the Office of Communications (Ofcom) to regulate forms of behaviour, which fall within the Act's definition of persistent misuse of an electronic communications network or service. Silent calls made by commercial power diallers are an example of behaviour, which might represent persistent misuse. Ofcom took action against two companies on 30 April 2004, which were found to have generated unacceptably high levels of unsolicited silent calls. Ofcom initiated a second investigation into one of the companies to ascertain whether the company is complying with the undertakings that were given following their initial action. In addition, Ofcom has launched an investigation into a further seven companies, whom they suspect were making silent calls.
	The Department is in discussions with Ofcom about providing a solution to silent calls and in particular a policy of introducing recorded messages to inform recipients of silent calls of what has happened. We will carefully consider all aspects of this possible solution.

Wind Farms

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the (a) environmental and (b) economic (i) cost and (ii)benefit of wind farms.

Malcolm Wicks: I refer the hon. Member to the Energy White Paper of 2003, and the Regulatory Impact Assessment for the recent consultation on the Renewables Obligation Review which highlight the wider case for supporting renewable forms of electricity generation.
	The recent Sustainable Development Commission Report Wind Power in the UK" also gives authoritative Information about wind farms including their environmental and economic impacts.

PRIME MINISTER

Correspondence

Paul Burstow: To ask the Prime Minister how many letters to his Office from hon. Members in session (a) 2004–05 and (b) 2005–06 remain unanswered, broken down by those which are (i) one month old, (ii)two months old, (iii) three months old, (iv) four months old and (v) over six months old.

Tony Blair: In total, I have received over 650,000 items of post since November 2004 including a number of campaign cards. My Office deals with all correspondence as efficiently as possible,
	I received 513 letters from Members of Parliament for the 2004–05 session, and to date have received 266 letters from Members of Parliament for the 2005–06 session, including invitations and requests concerning constituency matters, which were dealt with as appropriate. Information regarding the dates on which individual pieces of correspondence were answered is not held in the format requested.

Departmental Staff

David Davies: To ask the Prime Minister how many full-time equivalents have worked for his Office for each of the last five financial years for which figures are available.

Tony Blair: For these purposes my Office forms part of the Cabinet Office. I refer the hon. Member to Table C of The Civil Service Statistics 2004", copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House.

Downing Street (Improvements)

David Amess: To ask the Prime Minister how much has been spent on (a) maintaining, (b) decorating and (c) otherwise improving 10 Downing street since 1 May 1997; how much (i) has been spent on wallpaper since 1 May 1997 and (ii) was spent on wallpaper between 1992 to 1997; and what plans there are for further such spending.

Tony Blair: Refurbishment and maintenance at 10 Downing street is part of a continuing programme of work. The Downing street complex is maintained to standards appropriate to its Grade 1/2 listed status in consultation with English Heritage. The building also fulfils an important representational role.
	For details of maintenance, decorating and otherwise improving 10 and 11 Downing street between May 1997 and 2000–01, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Laws) on 24 July 2002, Official Report, columns 1370–71W.
	Subsequent figures for the whole Downing street complex are:
	
		£
		
			  Amount 
		
		
			 2001–02 802,658 
			 2002–03 319,177 
			 2003–04 179,424 
		
	
	The expenditure in 2001–02 was partly attributable to the installation of comfort cooling across the complex. It also covered maintenance, conversion of rooms into office accommodation, modernising of a meeting room, replacement of the water tank, replacement staircase carpeting and the continuing upkeep of the State Rooms. Only a small proportion relates to work on the Prime Minister's personal accommodation.
	Figures for 2004–05 are not yet available.
	Expenditure on wallpaper is not separately recorded within the overall costs of redecoration works.

Office Costs

David Amess: To ask the Prime Minister how much his Office cost to run in each year since 1997; and what the cost was in each of the preceding 10 years.

Tony Blair: For figures before 2002–03 I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Laws) on 25 March 2003, Official Report, columns 125–27W. Figures since then are set out in the table.
	Before 2001–02 the infrastructure costs for the Prime Minister's Office were managed from central Cabinet Office budgets and could be made available only at disproportionate cost. To enable a direct comparison with the previous answer the costs from 2002–03 onwards have been shown both including and excluding the infrastructure element.
	
		£ million
		
			  Running costs excluding infrastructure Running costs including infrastructure 
		
		
			 2002–03 13.6 14.2 
			 2003–04 14.6 15.1 
			 2004–05 15.8 17.0

Publications

David Amess: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the publications issued by his Office in each of the last eight years; and what the (a) circulation, (b) cost and (c) purpose of each was.

Tony Blair: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 12 February 2002, Official Report, column 260W to the hon. Member for Buckingham (Mr. Bercow).
	The cost of other publications produced by my Office since then total £6,994.

CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

Dr. David Kelly

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the current status is of the inquest into the death of Dr. David Kelly.

Harriet Harman: On 16 March 2004 the Oxfordshire coroner decided not to resume the inquest which he had adjourned pending Lord Hutton's public inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the death of Dr. David Kelly.

Election Registration

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what plans she has to alter the registration procedures for voting in elections.

Harriet Harman: We are currently considering how the electoral registration system in Great Britain might be improved both to improve security and increase access. This consideration is being informed by the recent Constitutional Affairs and Office of the Deputy Prime Minister Select Committee report Electoral Registration and by the various Electoral Commission reports on the subject. Additionally, my Department recently published a policy paper for discussion, which invited comments on some aspects of electoral registration. This paper is available in the House Library.
	We intend to bring forward legislation on this issue when parliamentary time allows.

Endowment Mis-selling

Paul Flynn: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what plans she has to regulate firms who handle claims for compensation for endowment mis-selling; and if she will make a statement.

Bridget Prentice: The Government plan to provide for the introduction of statutory regulation of claims management companies in the Compensation Bill. We are currently considering the scope of regulation.

Family Law Act 1996

Paul Burstow: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what plans she has to bring into force section 60 of the Family Law Act 1996; and if she will make a statement.

Harriet Harman: There are no plans to implement section 60 of the Family Law Act 1996. Provisions to protect victims from domestic violence are provided for in the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004.

Freedom of Information Act

Mike Hancock: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many Freedom of Information Act 2000 applications to see sections of the 1911 decennial census for England and Wales have been (a) received and (b) rejected by the National Archives since 1 January.

Harriet Harman: In the period from 1 January to 15 July 2005, The National Archives received 72 applications. After consultation with the Office for National Statistics (ONS) as the transferring department, 47 of these applications have not been granted, because they are covered by s.41 of the FOI Act. The remaining 25 applications are currently being considered on a case by case basis in consultation with ONS.

Human Rights

Tony Lloyd: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs which rulings of the European Court of Human Rights have not been fully implemented by the United Kingdom Government; what the obstacles are to full implementation of those rulings; and if she will make a statement.

Harriet Harman: There are 32 active cases against the United Kingdom pending before the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, which under Article 46 of the European Convention on Human Rights is responsible for supervising their execution. Some of these are quite recent, and in some a referral to the Grand Chamber of the Court is being considered. In other cases the Government are of the view that implementation is complete, but the cases are under review by the Council of Europe Secretariat. In some cases, further administrative or legislative steps are needed. It is the policy of the Government to implement all judgments of the European Court of Human Rights as soon as possible.

Legal Aid

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs whether she plans to use the same quality assessment for price competitive tendering as that used for civil legal aid contracts.

Bridget Prentice: Ensuring a high quality of advice for clients is a priority for the Legal Services Commission (LSC). The LSC has developed, and is continuing to develop, a number of successful quality assessment systems, such as peer review, which are used in both civil and criminal contracts. These systems will be applied as appropriate to contracts awarded under the price competitive tendering scheme.

Legal Aid

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what assessment she has made of the likely effects of price competitive tendering on civil legal aid.

Bridget Prentice: Competitive tendering is one of several policy initiatives that the Government are exploring in order to achieve greater value for money across the Criminal Defence Service as a whole. This will help to ensure that legal aid resources can be more effectively focused on the vulnerable individuals and groups supported by the Community Legal Service.

Legal Aid

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what steps she plans to take to monitor the quality of criminal legal aid work throughout the term of a contract under price competitive tendering.

Bridget Prentice: Improving the quality of service for clients is a key objective of the Legal Services Commission (LSC). All firms wishing to bid for a contract under the price competitive tendering project will have to pass a quality assessment. Once a contract is awarded, the LSC will employ quality assurance mechanisms to monitor the quality of advice being provided throughout the term of the contract. Among those quality assurance mechanisms currently under consideration are peer review and file assessment.

Management Consultants

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what estimate she has made of the total expenditure saved in each of the last three years as a result of implementing recommendations by management consultancies within her Department.

Bridget Prentice: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Personal Injuries

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what progress has been made with research into the effects of changing the small claims limit for personal injuries.

Bridget Prentice: The Better Regulation Task Force in its report, Better Routes to Redress" recommended that research should be carried out into the potential impact of raising the small claims limit for personal injury cases from the current limit of £1,000. The Government indicated that they would carry out this research and would also consider other options for dealing with these claims in a more proportionate and cost effective way. That research is currently under way and consultation will take place on any proposals which may emerge.

Personal Injuries

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs whether she plans to hold a public consultation prior to changing the small claims limit for personal injuries.

Bridget Prentice: The Government agreed to carry out research into the potential impact of raising the small claims limit, as recommended by the Better Regulation Task Force in its report: Better Routes to Redress". The Government indicated that they would also consider other options for dealing with these claims in a more proportionate and cost effective way. That research is currently under way and consultation will take place on any proposals which may emerge.

Voter Registration

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs if she will estimate the socio-economic breakdown of those citizens who have failed to register to vote; and if she will conduct research into this issue.

Harriet Harman: My Department has been conducting research into the attitudes of the electorate, especially those who are currently not on the register of who did not vote. A report is being prepared. The variable that has the most significant effect on non-registration is age, with younger respondents being less likely to be registered.
	The joint Constitutional Affairs and ODPM Select Committee reported in March this year that registration was significantly lower among younger age groups and amongst black and ethnic minority groups. It also cited research from 1991 that reflected both these differences and the significantly lower levels of registration in metropolitan areas compared to non-metropolitan areas, and between those in rented accommodation compared to owner occupiers.
	The Electoral Commission is also undertaking research into registration rates and will report in due course.

Voter Registration

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many representations she has received on (a) postal ballot fraud and (b) voter under-registration in the last 12 months.

Harriet Harman: While we do not keep a detailed breakdown of the content of correspondence, my Department received a significant number of representations about postal voting in the run up to and following the June 2004 elections, many of which raised the issue of postal vote fraud and security.
	Since the recent general election we have received approximately 52 items of correspondence relating to registration issues, the majority of which relate to difficulties with the correspondents' registration, while some relate to under-registration in the wider sense. In the same period we have received some 74 items of correspondence relating to postal voting, some of which relate to fears of fraud, while the majority relate to voters' either not receiving their ballot papers or receiving them too late to take part in the election.

WALES

Consultants

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what his Department's total spending on management consultants has been in each of the last three years.

Peter Hain: The Wales Office has not awarded any contracts to management consultants in any of the last three years.

Consultants

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what estimate he has made of the total expenditure saved in each of the last three years as a result of implementing recommendations by management consultancies within his Department.

Peter Hain: The Wales Office has not used any management consultants in the last three years.

Consultants

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list management consultants employed by his Office in each of the last three years.

Peter Hain: The Wales Office has not awarded any contracts to management consultants in the last three years.

Correspondence

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many items of correspondence have been dealt with by (a) the Secretary of State for Wales and (b) his Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in each year since 1999.

Peter Hain: The following table shows the number of items of correspondence dealt with by Wales Office Ministers since July 1999.
	
		Number
		
			  Secretary of State Under Secretary of State Inter-departmental correspondence 
		
		
			 July 1999–March 2000 1110 369 5980 
			 April 2000–March 2001 573 186 6649 
			 April 2001–March 2002 295 39 5058 
			 April 2002–March 2003 297 56 5873 
			 April 2003–March 2004 177 41 5660 
			 April 2004-March 2005 152 71 5326

Correspondence

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many letters to his Department from hon. Members in session (a) 2004–05 and (b) 2005–06 remain unanswered, broken down by those which are (i) one month old, (ii) two months old, (iii) three months old, (iv) four months old and (v) over six months old.

Peter Hain: There are no unanswered letters from hon. Members to the Wales Office for either of these parliamentary sessions.

Departmental Budget

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much was allocated to the Office and its predecessor for each year since 1975.

Peter Hain: The Wales Office was created in July 1999 and no figures are available before that date.
	
		
			  £ 
		
		
			 1999–2000 1,217,000 
			 2000–01 2,557,000 
			 2001–02 2,490,000 
			 2002–03 3,107,000 
			 2003–04 3,173,000 
			 2004–05 3,997,000 
			 2005–06 4,679,000

Departmental Estate

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the estimated (a) market value and (b) annual rental value is of each property owned by his Department; who the occupier of each property is; and if he will make a statement.

Peter Hain: The only property owned by the Wales Office is Gwydyr House in Whitehall, which has an estimated market value of £2.95 million. The building is occupied by the Wales Office apart from two rooms, which are occupied by the National Assembly for Wales. As the property is not rented out, the annual rental value is not known.

Departmental Purchasing

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the companies from which his Department has purchased goods and services of a total value above £1 million in each of the last three years; and how much was spent in respect of each company.

Peter Hain: The Wales Office has not purchased goods or services from any company for a value of £1 million in any of the last three years.

Departmental Staff

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many full-time equivalents have worked for the Department for each of the last five financial years for which figures are available.

Peter Hain: Data on staffing levels in the civil service is collected by the Cabinet Office and published in the Civil Service Statistics. A copy of the Civil Service Statistics, 2004 is available in the Library, and at:
	http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/management_information/ statistical_information/statistics/publications/xls/report_2004/table_c.xls

Hospitals (Opening Dates)

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the opening dates of hospitals in Wales were between 1975 and 1998.

Peter Hain: Between 1975 and 1998 approximately 31 hospitals in Wales were opened. However, a record of the formal openings is not held centrally, and due to disproportionate costs, we are unable to provide a comprehensive list of opening dates.

Inward Investment

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with Secretaries in the National Assembly for Wales on encouraging inward investment in Wales.

Peter Hain: I have regular discussions with the First Minister on a range of issues including measures to promote the economy in Wales.
	During 2004–05, Wales secured 56 inward investment projects. These projects expect to create or safeguard 3,854 jobs and invest capital expenditure totalling £153 million.

Job Losses

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what support the Government are offering to support the manufacturing industry in Wales, with particular reference to possible job losses at (a) Sony and (b) Christie Tyler.

Peter Hain: Manufacturing remains vital to the Welsh economy and we want to see a successful manufacturing sector producing high value-added products.
	We are working in partnership with industry, trade unions, regional development agencies, and other stakeholders to deliver the Government's Manufacturing Strategy launched in May 2002, and reviewed in 2004.
	It sets out the actions, such as the Manufacturing Advisory Service, up-skilling the workforce, and R and D tax credits, needed to create a high value, high skill manufacturing sector capable of introducing new products and processes into our economy and creating new markets to deliver a boost to our prosperity.
	This is complemented by a range of measures administered by the Assembly Government to assist the manufacturing sector. These include financial assistance, business advice, promoting innovation e.g. the Technium programme through to initiatives to improve skills and promote entrepreneurship.
	In respect of Sony, the job losses announced recently are regrettable. The Assembly Government with its Team Wales partners, including the Welsh Development Agency (WDA) Elwa and Jobcentre Plus are already working with the company to find alternative employment for those affected. I have also discussed with the Sony Group chairman and chief executive, Sir Howard Stringer, the possibility of further investment at the Pencoed plant and Sir Howard has assured me that he will look into this.
	As regards Christie Tyler, specific assistance has already been offered to the receivers through the WDA, to identify prospective purchasers for the businesses through the Agency's extensive network, both in the UK and overseas. Any leads that are identified are being immediately passed to the receivers.
	Part of Christie Tyler group, Cambria Mobel in Pontypridd, has now been sold on a solvent basis to Sofa Brands International, safeguarding the jobs under threat. In addition to this, I understand Management Buyouts (MBO) are being looked at for other parts of the group.
	Despite the recent losses, unemployment in Wales is now 4.5 per cent. compared to 8.3 per cent. in 1997, and I am encouraged by the progress that is being made.

Legislation

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many (a) legislative debates and (b) committees on Bills pertaining to England and Wales (i) he and (ii) his Parliamentary Under-Secretary have spoken in since his Office was established.

Peter Hain: Wales Office Ministers have spoken in many legislative debates and committees since 1999.
	Details of the occasions are not collated centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Legislation

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what research costs were incurred (a) in the preparation of and (b) before presentation to Parliament of the (i) Better Governance for Wales White Paper, (ii) the Transport (Wales) Bill, (iii) the Commissioner for Older People (Wales) Bill and (iv) the draft Tourism Accommodation (Wales) Bill.

Peter Hain: The Wales Office published the Better Governance for Wales White Paper in response to a request from the Assembly Government, which arose from the report to them of the Richard Commission. The cost of the Richard Commission is a matter for the Assembly.
	The Wales Office published the Transport (Wales) Bill and the Commissioner for Older People (Wales) Bill in draft for pre legislative scrutiny, and is planning to do the same for the Tourism Accommodation (Wales) Bill later in this session. These publications are a normal part of legislative scrutiny, and where appropriate costs are met from the Wales Office administration costs budget. Any costs incurred from research in the preparation of these Bills are matters for the Assembly.

Legislation

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what criteria he will use to measure the consensus required to trigger a referendum on primary legislative powers for the National Assembly for Wales.

Peter Hain: Better Governance for Wales (Cm 6582) describes the circumstances in which the Government would consider a referendum. Paragraph 3.24 says:
	the decision to hold one would need to be approved in both Parliament and the Assembly. If one was proposed by the Assembly Government, the motion would need to be endorsed by two thirds of all Assembly Members voting in favour. If the Secretary of State was minded to table an Order in Parliament, he would first be obliged to undertake such consultation as he considered appropriate. The referendum would not take place unless the Order was approved by Parliament.

Legislation

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much external research was commissioned by his Department (a) before introduction to Parliament, (b) during passage in Parliament and (c) after Royal Assent for (i) the Government of Wales Act 1998, (ii)thePublic Services Ombudsman Wales Act 2005, (iii)the Children's Commissioner for Wales Act 2001, (iv) the Health (Wales) Act 2003 and (v) the Public Audit Wales Act 2004.

Peter Hain: The Health (Wales) Bill and Public Audit Wales Bills were both published for public consultation and pre legislative scrutiny before being introduced into Parliament.
	The idea of a Children's Commissioner was a cross-party consensus dating back to the creation of the National Assembly in 1999 and was one of the recommendations of the Waterhouse Report. The Assembly's Health and Social Services Committee was given the task of drawing up proposals for the role, remit and functions of the Commissioner and carried out a public consultation, which included taking oral evidence from witnesses. The Commissioner is subject to audit from the National Audit Office and has to produce an annual report.
	In December 2002 the Wales Office jointly published with the Welsh Assembly Government Ombudsmen's Services in Wales: Time for change?, a consultation document on the principle of bringing together the offices of Commissioner for Local Administration in Wales (which includes the Local Commissioner), Welsh Administration Ombudsmen and Health Service Commission for Wales into a unified service. In October 2003 a consultation document on the detailed powers and jurisdiction of that new office, entitled, A Public Services Ombudsman for Wales: Powers and Jurisdiction was published.
	In respect of the Government of Wales Act 1998, the former Welsh Office established the National Assembly Advisory Group (NAAG) in December 1997, following the successful outcome of the referendum on devolution in Wales, to undertake wide-ranging consultation and consideration of the shape of the new Assembly.

Management Consultancies

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales which five management consultancies received the highest value of contracts awarded by his Department in each of the last three years; and what the total value was of the contracts awarded to each.

Peter Hain: The Wales Office has not awarded any contracts to management consultants in any of the last three years.

NHS (Wales)

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales pursuant to the statement by the parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, of 12 July 2005, Official Report, column 252WH, on NHS (Wales), if he will list the 70 hospitals closed in Wales between 1979 and 1997.

Peter Hain: A list of these hospitals is not held centrally, and due to disproportionate costs it is not possible to provide one.
	However, Health Statistics Wales and Health Solutions Wales have verified that approximately 70 hospitals were closed in the period 1979 to 1997.

Olympic Games

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues in the Department of Culture, Media and Sport on holding Olympic events in Wales; and if he will make a statement.

Peter Hain: Cardiff's millennium stadium will play host to qualifying matches in the Olympic football tournament.
	Wales will also host training and acclimatisation camps, and stands to benefit from the enormous tourism and business opportunities presented by the London Olympics and Paralympics.

Olympics

Peter Law: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will discuss with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, opportunities to place contracts with companies based in (a) Blaenau Gwent and (b) Wales to make sustainably sourced building materials for the Olympic village in East London.

Peter Hain: The 2012 London Olympics presents a wonderful opportunity to progress UK's sustainable development objectives. I have already raised this issue with my right hon. Friend, urging the use of solar energy panels for the Olympic village and the proposed housing development on the site once the games are over.
	Wales has a number of progressive companies which are involved in developing products and services in line with sustainability principles and I will continue to press the case for such companies from Wales to be involved in the substantial building programme for the Olympic games.

Secondments

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many (a) senior and (b) junior full-time staff are seconded (i) from the National Assembly for Wales Government to the Welsh Office and (ii) from the Welsh Office to the National Assembly for Wales Government.

Peter Hain: As of 1 July 2005 the number of full-time staff seconded from the National Assembly for Wales to the Wales Office was 30. There are no secondments from the Wales Office to the National Assembly. All these secondments are of staff below the senior civil service.

Sickness Absence

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many days the Office has lost due to sickness in the past five years for which figures are available.

Peter Hain: The information requested is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Day 
		
		
			 2000 231 
			 2001 277 
			 2002 206 
			 2003 270 
		
	
	In June 2003, the Wales Office became part of the Department of Constitutional Affairs for pay and rations purposes. No separate figures for the Wales Office are available from 2004 onwards.

Special Schools

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many special schools have closed in each constituency in Wales in each year since 1997.

Peter Hain: No special schools have closed in Wales during this period.

Tax Credits

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with National Assembly for Wales secretaries on the effects of tax credits on the take up of childcare in Wales.

Peter Hain: I regularly meet with Ministers from the Welsh Assembly Government to discuss a range of issues, including the effects of tax credits on the take-up of childcare in Wales.
	The childcare element of working tax credit has been a success, with over 15,500 Welsh families benefiting from it. This is almost 85 per cent. higher than the peak of over 8,000 under the working families tax credit.
	By April 2005, families benefiting from the childcare element of working tax credit were receiving an average of 46.22 per week, compared to 38 per week in November 2002 through Working families tax credit.

Wales Office

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what record is kept of work done by civil servants in the Assembly for Wales Government that has been requested by the Wales Office.

Peter Hain: Under section 41 of the Government of Wales Act 1998, civil servants working for the Assembly Government may act as agents of a relevant authority and vice versa; the definition of relevant authority includes the Wales Office.
	A number of such agreements have been made under which Assembly Government civil servants have acted and are acting as agents of the Wales Office, including in relation to work on Bills. No central record is kept of these agreements.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Agriculture Shows

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which agriculture shows (a) she and (b) each Minister in her Department (i) visited and (ii) plans to visit in 2005.

Margaret Beckett: So far this year, Defra Ministers have attended the Royal Show, the Great Yorkshire Show; the Cornwall Show and the Devon Show.

Animal Welfare

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to enact a single statute to protect the welfare of livestock and horses as proposed by the Farm Animal Welfare Council.

Ben Bradshaw: The Government welcome the Farm Animal Welfare Council (FAWC) report on the welfare of farmed animals at gatherings, published on 30 June. We are currently considering the report's recommendations before we consult interested parties.

Animal Welfare

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer to the right hon. Member for Maidstone and The Weald (Miss Widdecombe) of 29 June 2005, Official Report, columns 153334W, on animal welfare, on what basis he has concluded that the evidence relating to welfare at circuses is anecdotal; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The basis for our conclusion are the number of prosecutions that have been brought against owners and trainers of circus animals, and the evidence that has also been submitted to the recent consultations on the Animal Welfare Bill by those who are either opposed to or want animal performances in circuses to continue.

Asbestos

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what environmentally acceptable disposal routes for asbestos her Department has identified; and in what order of desirability.

Ben Bradshaw: Landfill is the normal option for the disposal of asbestos. The Landfill (England and Wales) Regulations 2002 as amended allow asbestos to be disposed of in a separate cell of either a non-hazardous or a hazardous waste landfill. Specific handling requirements on the bagging and cover of deposited asbestos are set out in the regulations, together with provisions to prevent future disturbance of the waste and potential release of fibres.

Beef

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment her Department has made of the impact of Brazilian beef imports on the British beef industry.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 18 July 2005
	The Department is aware of the level of imported beef and beef products from South America. We are also committed to facilitating enhanced competitiveness and sustainability in the UK beef industry through initiatives such as the Red Meat Industry Forum.

Birds (Imports)

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what restrictions to reduce the risk of disease apply to the importation of birds; and if she will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: There are different requirements governing the import of birds from member states of the EU and import of birds from third countries. There are three categories of birdspoultry, captive birds and pet birds. The import requirements are laid down in EU legislation.
	All poultry and captive birds imported into the EU from third countries must enter at designated border inspection posts where they are subject to veterinary inspections, All consignments are subject to documentary and identity checks. These checks ensure that the import conditions are met. Captive birds and poultry must undergo a period of quarantine. Pet birds from third countries do not have to enter through a border inspection post, but must serve a period of quarantine, This can be at the owner's house where they are inspected by a veterinary officer.
	All imports from EU countries must be accompanied by agreed health certification. Poultry must originate from approved establishments and come from flocks which have been held in community establishments for 21 days prior to export. Poultry must have undergone health examination by an official or authorized veterinarian, Captive birds must come from a holding and an area not subject to disease. The rules for pet birds imported from other member states are the same as those from third countries.
	If there is an outbreak of disease in an exporting country Defra takes appropriate emergency safeguard measures as allowed by Community legislation, This may include a ban on imports of animals and animal products from all, or parts, of that country.
	The situation in affected countries is kept under review and controls on imports are modified in line with community decisions. Safeguard measures are currently in place to ban or restrict imports of animals, meat and other products of susceptible species in respect of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Pakistan, the People's Republic of China, including the territory of Hong Kong, North Korea, Thailand, Vietnam and South Africa.

Bovine TB

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many farms in England were under official movement or marketing restrictions at the height of the foot and mouth disease epidemic in 2001; and how many are under official movement or marketing restrictions because of bovine TB.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 18 July 2005
	The number of farms within infected areas and therefore subject to both movement and marketing restrictions in Great Britain at the height of the foot and mouth outbreak in 2001 was 112,735. We are unable to give a breakdown for England separately.
	Latest provisional statistics indicate that on the 18 July 2005, there were a total of 5,002 1 farm holdings under TB movement restrictions. 2,337 1 as a direct result of a TB incident and 2,665 1 under restrictions for other reasons. The majority of these are as a result of TB tests being overdue.
	1 Provisional data downloaded from the State Veterinary Service Vetnet TBiC system on 18 July 2005. Subject to change as more data become available.

Bovine TB

Dan Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the incidence of bovine TB was in (a) North East Somerset, (b) South Gloucestershire and (c) the former county of Avon area in the last period for which figures are available.

Ben Bradshaw: Disaggregated data for the geographic areas of North East Somerset, South Gloucestershire and the former county of Avon are not centrally held, and can only be obtained at disproportionate cost. An aggregate figure for Avon (which covers the former county of Avon, South Gloucestershire, Bath and North East Somerset and North Somerset) is set out in the following table.
	
		
			  Avon 
		
		
			 1 January-31 December 2004:  
			 Confirmed New Incidents as a percentage of tests on unrestricted herds 4.37 
		
	
	Note:
	Provisional data downloaded from the State Veterinary Service Data Warehouse on 19 May 2005. Subject to change as more data become available.

Bovine TB

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate her Department has made of the number of badgers that have been confirmed to have died due to infection with bovine tuberculosis in England and Wales, between 1975 and 2004 broken down by county; and if she will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The number of badgers that have been confirmed to have died due to infection with bovine tuberculosis in England and Wales has not been estimated by Defra or its agencies.

Bovine TB

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment her Department has made of the effect of bovine tuberculosis on badger population numbers in England and Wales in the last five years; and if she will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: Reliable data on the causes of deaths in badgers and their effect on population numbers in England and Wales do not exist. In the only long term study, conducted by the Central Science Laboratory at a study site in Gloucestershire, mortality due to TB was estimated to be around 7 per cent. during the period 1978 to 1993. However, the study site is of limited size, and the result cannot be extrapolated to the rest of England and Wales.

Bovine TB

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate her Department has made of the mortality rate of badgers in England and Wales in each of the last five years.

Ben Bradshaw: Mortality rates of mammals can only be determined from long term, intensive studies. Only two such studies exist on badgers, both in southern England (Woodchester Park, Gloucestershire, and Wytham Woods, Oxfordshire). Mortality rates at these sites varies from year to year in relation to weather conditions and hence food availability. Cub mortality is thought to be relatively high, both pre-emergence from the sett, and also up to the end of the first year. At Woodchester Park, where TB status is also recorded for each animal trapped, the average mortality rates foruninfected adult animals were 30.4 per cent. for males and 23.6 per cent. for females. For the small proportion of animals which had a history of more than one positive test for TB, mortality was 66.7 per cent. and 48.0 per cent. for males and females respectively. Overall at Woodchester, the average mortality is thought to be about 50 per cent.
	It is important to note that these studies are in high density populations, and therefore cannot be extrapolated to the country as a whole. Mortality rates will be different from these in lower density locations. In a study of suburban badgers in Bristol, mortality rates were 40.3 per cent. for adult females, and 28.1 per cent. for adult males.
	Other studies have estimated that approximately 50,000 badgers are killed on roads each year, making it the most important cause of death.

Bovine TB

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many cases of bovine tuberculosis have been recorded in (a) the North West and (b) Chorley in the last three years.

Ben Bradshaw: Statistics on bovine TB are aggregated according to the office structure of the State Veterinary Service (SVS). The North West is not currently a recognised region within the SVS structure. Data sets for the Carlisle and Preston Animal Health Offices are in the following table along with the data set for Cheshire. We are unable to provide figures for Chorley, as data disaggregated at this level are not held centrally.
	
		
			  Total new herd TB incidents Confirmed new TB incidents 
			  (3)2002 2003 2004 Total (3)2002 2003 2004 Total 
		
		
			 Carlisle 33 70 65 168 10 15 17 42 
			 Cheshire 27 36 46 109 15 12 16 43 
			 Preston 9 5 7 21 0 1 0 1 
		
	
	(3)In 2001, the TB testing and control programme was largely suspended due to the foot and mouth disease (FMD) outbreak. When testing resumed In 2002, resources were concentrated on herds with overdue TB tests which would have had e longer period In which to contract the disease. Also the proportion of high risk herds tested immediately after the FMD outbreak was greater than that prior to the outbreak. As a result, data for 2002 is not comparable with other years.
	Note:
	All data downloaded on 19 May 2005 from SVS TB Data Warehouse. All data are provisional and subject to change as more data become available.

Bovine TB

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she plans to take to assist farmers whose farms are shut down because of identified cases of bovine TB; and if she will make a statement on the progress of the trials which her Department is undertaking into methods to tackle bovine TB.

Ben Bradshaw: It is Government policy to pay 100 per cent. of market value, with no upper limit, for cattle that are compulsorily slaughtered under TB control measures.
	We are sympathetic to farmers whose herds are currently under restrictions, but this is a necessary measure to tackle bovine TB. The Government are committed to finding the best way to combat this disease, backed by available scientific evidence and taking account of all interested parties, including farmers and the taxpayer.
	The Independent Scientific Group on Cattle TB aims to reveal the outcome of the pro-active culling effect of the randomised badger culling trial to Ministers in spring 2006 and publish its final report, covering all its works and findings, in spring 2007. In the interim we are developing a model to assess a range of potential policy options, including wildlife controls.

Bovine TB

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the recent discovery of bovine TB in pigs in Bodmin, Cornwall.

Ben Bradshaw: We are aware of a confirmed case of bovine TB in pigs on a Cornish farm. Tests are being carried out to establish the origin of the disease. However, cattle on the same farm have tested negative for bovine TB. Movement restrictions have been placed on the premises while the investigation continues. Although we have looked at possible sources of infection including unpasteurised cows' milk from another farm that has been fed to the pigs, and wildlife involvement, we do not yet have a definite origin.

Bovine TB

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the locations of sites selected for the bovine TB vaccination of badgers trial; whether the vaccine is the same as that used in the Irish trial; and if she will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: We are currently considering a number of potential locations in south west England. Once potential locations have been identified we will seek landowner permission to carry out the proposed trial.
	We do not know which strain of Bacille Calmette Guerin (BCG) will be used in the Irish field trial. We are aware however that the Pasteur strain was used in their experimental studies. We intend to use the Danish strain of BCG for our trial. We chose the Danish strain because it is produced to a recognised quality assurance standard and the manufacturers are willing to release appropriate data in support of Defra's application to the Veterinary Medicines Directorate to undertake the field trial.

Bovine TB

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when the Government will announce the results of the road traffic accident survey on the prevalence of tuberculosis in badgers.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 19 July 2005
	We anticipate releasing the 200204 road traffic accident (RTA) data, along with illustrative maps showing locations where badgers were picked up in the first week in August 2005, on the Independent Scientific Group on Cattle TB and Defra websites.

Bovine TB

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking to ensure that animals from tuberculosis-infected areas are tested before being moved into non-infected areas, with particular reference to Yorkshire; what tests will take place; who will fund them; and if she will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: We are considering a proposal for pre-movement testing in GB developed by a farmer-chaired stakeholder group. The group was asked to make recommendations on the basis that testing is paid for by the herd owner. The group delivered its report on 29 April, and published on DEFRA website on 1 June,
	Government are now carefully considering the recommendations of the group, along with colleagues from Scotland and Wales, and will bring forward proposals to be introduced as early as possible.

Carbon Dioxide Emissions

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the annual UK emissions of carbon dioxide were, including emissions from aircraft taking off from UK airports in each of the past five years.

Elliot Morley: Annual UK emissions of carbon dioxide from domestic aviation and UK total carbon dioxide emissions are shown in the following table for the years 1999 to 2003 in million tonnes of carbon dioxide (MtCO 2 ). The data on aviation covers emissions from all civil domestic passenger and freight traffic movements inside the UK. This data is from the UK Greenhouse Gas Inventory published in 2005.
	
		MtCO 2 
		
			  Domestic aviation UK total emissions 
		
		
			 1999 1.8 556.4 
			 2000 2.0 560.4 
			 2001 2.1 577.2 
			 2002 2.1 559.9 
			 2003 2.1 572.2 
		
	
	Under guidelines agreed internationally, emissions from international aviation taking off and landing at UK airports are not included in UK total emissions, but are estimated for information purposes. Emissions of carbon dioxide from international aviation, for 1999 to 2003, are estimated in the following table.
	
		MtCO 2 
		
			  International aviation 
		
		
			 1999 27.4 
			 2000 30.2 
			 2001 29.5 
			 2002 28.9 
			 2003 29.7

Cetaceans

Linda Gilroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many dolphin and porpoise strandings there were in the south-west in each of the last five years.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 18 July 2005
	From 1 January 2000 until 18 July 2005 a total of 376 harbour porpoises and a total of 867 dolphins (including common, white beaked, white sided and striped) were reported as strandings in the south-west. Table 1 gives a breakdown by year for the number of harbour porpoise and Table 2 gives the breakdown for dolphins.
	Strandings data is obtained under the Defra-funded Cetacean and Turtle Strandings Scheme, carried out by the Natural History Museum in partnership with the Institute of Zoology and Scottish Agricultural College.
	
		Table 1: Total numbers of stranded harbour porpoise for 2000up to 18 July 2005
		
			  2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 
		
		
			 Cornwall 21 25 68 40 114 18 
			 Devon 8 12 14 11 21 9 
			 Dorset 2 4 6 0 0 3 
			 Total 31 41 88 51 135 30 
		
	
	
		Table 2: Total numbers of stranded dolphins for 2000up to 18 July 2005
		
			  2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 
		
		
			 Cornwall 36 81 89 196 105 47 
			 Devon 15 37 25 65 61 9 
			 Dorset 9 5 25 38 12 12 
			 Total 60 123 139 299 178 68

Cetaceans

Linda Gilroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the latest population estimates for dolphins and porpoises in south-west waters are.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 18 July 2005
	Obtaining population estimates for mobile species such as cetaceans is difficult. According to scientific advice recently published by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea, dolphins Delphinus delphis present in south-west waters form part of a single genetic population in the North East Atlantic. Although no single abundance survey has been carried out for this area, scientific work base don surveys for various parts of the North East Atlantic suggests a population of the order of 380,000 animals. Similarly, the harbour porpoise Phocoena phocoena is widely distributed in all waters around the UK. The 2002 report of the Advisory Committee on Ecosystems of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ECES) estimated 36,280 harbour porpoise in south-west waters.
	A consortium of international researchers, co-ordinated by the Sea Mammal Research Unit, is currently carrying out a second SCANS survey of the distribution and abundance of small cetaceansparticularly harbour porpoises, bottlenose dolphins Tursiops truncates and common dolphins. The survey area is intended to cover the shelf waters of the Atlantic margin, the North sea and adjacent waters. The UK contributed 275,000 to this project. The results of the second SCANS survey should be available by the end of 2006.

Cetaceans

Linda Gilroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will publish the results of the 2005 trial of separator grids in the bass pair trawl industry; and if she will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 18 July 2005
	During the 200405 season, a preliminary analysis by the Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU) of research conducted on behalf of DEFRA suggests that there was a total mortality of 142 common dolphins in the UK pair trawl fishery for bass, compared with 429 in 200304 and 114 in 200203.
	During fishing operations, trials of the separator grid were undertaken by SMRU with some positive results, though further testing will be needed to improve its performance. A fuller analysis by SMRU on observations made in the UK pair trawl fishery for bass will be published on the DEFRA website in the autumn.

Common Agricultural Policy

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which companies and individuals in England received payments of more than 200,000 under the Common Agricultural Policy in 2004; and what sum was received in each case.

Jim Knight: I have been advised by the Rural Payments Agency that a copy of this information in the form of a CD ROM was forwarded to you on Tuesday 22 March 2005. This information is also available in the Library of the House in the same format.
	I understand that Lord Bach wrote to you on 18 July explaining that a further regional analysis of CAP payments for the European Agriculture Guidance and Guarantee Fund year 200304 will be published on the RPA website on Wednesday 20 July at 12.30pm.

Community Energy Programme

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the future of the Community Energy Programme in (a) Scotland and (b) England and Wales.

Elliot Morley: Defra has made 10 million available to extend the Community Energy programme to 200708. We are currently working with the Energy Saving Trust and Carbon Trust, the joint programme managers, to finalise the details of this extension. We will announce these details before the first bidding round, which we expect to run in the autumn.

Correspondence

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she will reply to the letter from the hon. member for Totnes dated 25 May relating to the Stoke Fleming parish council's community composting centre.

Ben Bradshaw: I replied to the hon. Member's letter on 18 July. I apologise for the delay.

Digital Mapping

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress has been made in producing digital maps of farmland; and if she will make a statement on the effect of the time taken in preparation of the maps on the ability of landowners to participate in her Department's schemes.

Jim Knight: The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) has developed the Rural Land Register (RLR) from paper based maps used to support subsidy claims. From 2002 to 2004 land was digitised from area aid applications received from farmers. All prospective subsidy applicants have to apply to RPA to have their land registered. Currently RPA has received 18,114 requests for new land registrations. To date there have been 94,801 land registrations or applications for land registration and of these 89,678 or 94 percent. of applicants and previous subsidy claimants have been sent digitised maps.
	It is a requirement of Environmental Stewardship (ES) for farmers to have their land registered on the RLR. RPA has been prioritising land registration and modifications to existing land registration requests associated with prospective ES applications. However, a proportion of potential applicants have encountered delays in entering the ES. The original deadline for the first application window was extended and monthly start dates have been introduced for the entry level strand of ES to minimise the impact.

Egg Imports

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what vaccines have been developed to inoculate against salmonella from imported eggs; and if she will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: Products to vaccinate hens against salmonella infection have been developed by the pharmaceutical industry, There are seven veterinary medicinal products authorised in the UK for use in poultry (laying birds) to protect against infections with either Salmonella Enteritidis, Salmonella Typhimurium or Salmonella Gallinarum.
	These vaccines are used in conjunction with a number of other measures relating to hygiene, biosecurity and management to help protect the hens against certain strains of salmonella of public health significance, In Great Britain a large proportion of the flocks producing eggs for human consumption are vaccinated against salmonella. Vaccination against salmonella of flocks producing eggs for human consumption is one of the requirements of the British Egg Industry Council operated Lion Code. The members operating to the Lion Code produce around 80 per cent. of the eggs in Great Britain. A number of producers who are not members also vaccinate their flocks against salmonella.
	There is no statutory requirement to vaccinate flocks producing eggs against salmonella. The producer will decide on vaccination of the flock depending on individual circumstances and veterinary advice.
	In other countries flocks producing eggs for human consumption may or may not be vaccinated against salmonella. Some countries have a statutory requirement to vaccinate flocks against salmonella, and in others the vaccination of flocks producing eggs for human consumption is not permitted. In some countries the situation is similar to Great Britain, where vaccination may be carried out on a voluntary basis. Imported eggs may therefore come from flocks which have been vaccinated against salmonella in some cases and not vaccinated against salmonella in others.
	It is, of course, important that caterers and consumers follow the advice of the Food Standards Agency on the handling, cooking, and storage of eggs.

Endangered Species

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will publicise the penalties for offences relating to the illegal trade in endangered species.

Jim Knight: On 27 June, I announced that the maximum prison sentence for certain offences relating to the illegal trade in endangered species is being increased from two to five years, with effect from 21 July 2005. This increase will bring with it enhanced powers of arrest for police officers.
	Information is available on the Defra website (www.defra.gov.uk). Full details have also been sent to all organisations that are members of the Partnership for Action Against Wildlife Crime (PAW), this includes the statutory enforcement agencies, the main conservation organisations, and the main traders and other users of wildlife with an interest in this area.

Energy Crops

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what incentives are offered to UK farmers to develop energy crops for use in (a) bio-mass and (b) dual bio-mass and coal fired power stations;
	(2)  what the Government's policy is on the (a) growing, (b) promotion and (c) use of energy crops in the UK.

Elliot Morley: As part of our overall strategy for improving sustainability and reducing the impact of climate change, the Government supports the use of energy crops for the generation of electricity and heat. Grants are available to farmers in England to plant energy crops. The single payment and 45/ha energy aid payment are also available in certain circumstances. Funding has been provided to develop supply chains throughout the UK to supply energy crops to all types of energy end-users. A UK-wide grant scheme is developing dedicated biomass heat, combined heat and power, and electricity generation projects, particularly those fuelled by energy crops. Recent changes to the rules on co-firing of biomass with fossil fuel in conventional power stations give longer timescales for the use of biomass. This makes co-firing with energy crops a more attractive option for both farmers and power generators. The Biomass Study Task Force, led by Sir Ben Gill, which is to report later this year, is working with stakeholders to identify the barriers to developing biomass energy and will recommend ways to overcome the problems.

Engagements

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which country (a) she and (b) each minister in her Department (i) has visited and (ii) plans to visit in 2005.

Margaret Beckett: So far this year, Defra Ministers have undertaken official visits to various EU member states as well as to the USA, Kenya, India, New Zealand and South Korea.

England Rural Development Programme

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations she has received concerning the allocation of England Rural Development Programme Vocational Training Scheme funds between regional and national schemes.

Margaret Beckett: I have received one representation concerning the allocation of funds between regional and national projects under the Vocational Training Scheme (VTS).
	The VTS is administered by the Rural Development Service and applications for funding may be made to address particular needs for training farmers and foresters. The scheme is selective and projects are assessed on a wide range of criteria including fit with national and regional priorities, and value for money. The VTS has an total annual budget of 4 million under the England Rural Development Programme (ERDP). The majority of this budget is allocated for regional projects, but a reserve of 300,000 has been set aside in 200506 to fund projects that have national coverage, or which would operate in four or more regions. If regional funds are under-subscribed, it is possible for additional moneys to be made available to high priority national projects.

European Landscape Convention

Martin Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when the UK will sign and ratify the European Landscape Convention.

Jim Knight: Signature and ratification of the European Landscape Convention remains under consideration. It is likely that my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State, will be in a position to make a recommendation to colleagues shortly.

Fallen Stock

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she had with her counterpart in the National Assembly for Wales Government about the fallen stock scheme prior to its implementation.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 18 July 2005
	None directly, however the Scheme was fully supported by this Department and Devolved Administrations, which have jointly agreed to provide funding to the tune of 20 million over three years.

Farm Subsidies

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much the Department spent on computer systems to support the single payment system.

Jim Knight: The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) is currently budgeting to directly spend 70.9 million to develop new computer software to support the single payment scheme (SPS). In addition to the software development costs, the RPA is also budgeted to spend 20.2 million on hardware and infrastructure improvements to host the software. There are further indirect costs for project management, business process redesign, assurance and the implementation of SPS.
	The development of a new computer system to deliver SPS is an integral part of a broader Change Programme. This Programme is targeted to make greater use of technology and innovation to deliver all RPA services more efficiently and effectively. As well as implementing the Single Payment Scheme (SPS), this Programme will bring about a significant reduction of the size of the organisation by reducing the number of operational sites from 12 to six (four have already closed) and a reduction in staffing of approximately 1,650 (from a baseline of 3,299) as part of the Gershon efficiencies.

Farm Subsidies

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the (a) minimum, (b) maximum, (c) average and (d) median time taken for farmers to obtain field numbers for non-arable land was in the last period for which figures are available.

Jim Knight: The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) is responsible for the allocation of field numbers on land used for the purposes of claiming CAP subsidy. Since September 2004 RPA has maintained a digitised record of all land on which subsidy is claimed. Following the introduction of the single payment and environmental stewardship schemes requests to register new land and modify existing registrations have increased by around 1,000 per cent. over previous levels. This has resulted in significant backlog of requests.
	RPA has not historically maintained statistics on the response times for processing requests. Following the deployment of additional resources to this task RPA is processing more than 1,000 requests per week and is prioritising cases to support claims to the single payment and environmental stewardship schemes. Moreover, RPA is seeking to further increase processing capacity to expedite the clearance of outstanding requests.

Farm Subsidies

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many farmers did not receive their entry level scheme packs on time; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Knight: Environmental Stewardship was launched on 3 March and farmers and landowners can apply to join Entry Level Stewardship (ELS) at any time. The immediate focus for many has however been to secure an ELS agreement with the earliest start date available, of 1 August.
	In the light of current difficulties with the printing of some ELS application packs, and delays in land registration for some customers, the contingency arrangements we have put in placean extension of the closing date for applications and prioritisation of registration requests submitted to the Rural Payments Agencyshould help ensure that as many applicants as possible can benefit from the 1 August start date. In addition, moving to monthly agreement start dates after 1 August means that the impact on customers of any further delays are minimised. These difficulties should however not mask the progress already made. By 8 July, over 28,000 ELS application packs had been issued and of these, more than 5,000 applications had been completed and returned to the Rural Development Service.

Fisheries

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking to promote larger mesh nets for fishing boats to permit smaller fish to escape the nets.

Ben Bradshaw: Mesh sizes have been increased progressively over a number of years. For example, the mesh size for targeting cod was 80 mm when the Common Fisheries Policy was introduced in the 1980s, was increased to 100 mm in the early 1990s and is now 120 mm in the North Sea and west of Scotland. The most significant problems for the adoption of higher mesh sizes is in mixed fisheries where fish of different sizes are caught together. European Union funding of up to 40 per cent. is available for fishermen to adopt environmentally friendly fishing methods such as more selective gear to reduce impact on fish stocks (e.g. hand lining, separator trawls, benthic release panels).

Fisheries

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking to promote diversification in the fishing industry, with particular reference to tourism and leisure.

Ben Bradshaw: Defra has tasked the Regional Development Agencies to increase their role in rural economic development and this has a strategic fit with their regional responsibilities for the development of leisure and tourism as an industry. While the RDAs are best placed to understand the needs of their regions many of the lagging rural districts, identified by Defra and regional partners, contain fishing ports and their needs will form a key part of strategic plans for an area.
	We liaise with RDAs to keep them informed of prospects for the fishing industry and to provide advice on local fisheries developments, which influence planning for diversification.
	The new EU grant scheme for fisheries under negotiation in the Agriculture and Fisheries Council will include powers from 2007 to grant aid diversification from fisheries. We will consider how to make best use of those provisions in conjunction with the new Rural Development Regulation.

Fisheries

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking to reduce bureaucracy for the fishing industry.

Ben Bradshaw: Better regulation and simplification of legislation are a priority for the Department. We have already improved application procedures for the fisheries grant scheme and are appointing facilitators to help fishermen through the process. We are rewriting other guidance for fishermen, beginning with material on licensing procedures.
	We are working with the National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations on a joint research project to identify specific reforms which should be a priority for action.
	Most fisheries legislation originates in the EU and it is a priority for the UK Presidency to get simplification of EU law. The Commission has agreed to bring forward an action plan for fisheries by the end of the year, and we will be proposing specific issues which need early attention.

Flood Defences

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much central Government funding has been made available for the improvement of flood defences in the Reading, East constituency in each year since 1997; and what plans she has to provide additional funding.

Elliot Morley: Defra has overall policy responsibility for flood and coastal erosion risk in England, funds most of the Environment Agency's activities in this area and provides grant aid on a project by project basis to the other flood and coastal defence operating authorities (local authorities primarily) to support their investment in improvement works.
	The Environment Agency is the principal authority responsible for management of flood risk. The agency allocates funding to stretches of river and areas at risk of flooding rather than to parliamentary constituencies. Since 1997 the agency has spent 3.78 million in the Reading, East constituency mainly on the reconstruction of two weirs, namely Caversham on the River Thames and Blakes Lock on the River Kennet. An additional average of about 25,000 a year has also been spent on general maintenance of watercourses in the Reading, East constituency. Much of this work has been keeping the channel clear of debris such as supermarket trolleys and vehicles.
	Defra has not provided grant aid for improvement projects to local authorities in the constituency during this period although they may have received some support for their own spend on flood risk management through the Office of the Deputy Prime Ministers local government finance mechanism.
	Total Government funding has increased from 310 million per year in 199697 to 570 million. We plan to maintain this level up to 200708 (the last year of the current spending review period with its real value being maintained by efficiency savings in the agency.

Flood Defences

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much central Government funding has been made available for the improvement of flood defences, broken down by London constituency, in each year since 1995; what plans she has to provide additional funding; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: Defra has overall policy responsibility for flood and coastal erosion risk in England, funds most of the Environment Agency's activities in this area and provides grant aid on a project by project basis to the other flood and coastal defence operating authorities (local authorities primarily) to support their investment in improvement works.
	The Environment Agency is the principal authority responsible for management of flood risk. The Agency allocates funding to stretches of river and areas at risk of flooding rather than to parliamentary constituencies. Defra funding to local authorities is allocated to individual improvement projects which may span more than one constituency. The information requested has not been recorded centrally and I regret I am not able to answer the question without incurring disproportionate cost. However I did write to all Members in February to notify them of projects approved and/or completed since May 1997 in the counties in which their constituencies are located together with the cost of the projects. The full list was placed in the Library and also published on the Defra website.
	Total Government funding has increased from 310 million per year in 199697 to 570 million. We plan to maintain this level up to 200708 with its real value being maintained by efficiency savings in the Agency.

GM Animal Feed

Michael Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on what published and peer-reviewed feeding studies Government policy that approved varieties of GM animal feed are not a long-term danger to farm animals or to consumers of the products of those animals is based.

Caroline Flint: I have been asked to reply.
	The assessment of genetically modified (GM) materials for use in animal feed is conducted on a case by case basis and involves the scrutiny of a range of data relevant to the material for which approval is being sought, including results from animal feeding studies. There is no requirement for the data provided for assessment to be peer-reviewed and published in the scientific literature, although in many cases data has been through this process. Nevertheless, the evaluation of the application dossiers by expert panels involves detailed and independent scrutiny of the data. GM crops are only considered for approval if they are judged by the expert assessors to meet strict safety criteria.

Hormone Disruptors

Mohammad Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the implications for the environment of the release of hormone disrupting substances; and whether these are linked to the incidence of breast cancer.

Elliot Morley: The Department is funding a considerable research programme to improve our understanding of the possible implications for the environment of exposure to hormone (endocrine) disrupting substances, in conjunction with other Government Departments and Agencies.
	We have completed specific programmes of research on endocrine disruption in the marine environment (EDMAR) and in invertebrates and top predators (EDIT). We commissioned a new programme, Endocrine Disruption in Aquatic Environments (EDAQ), in 2003. We have also made a considerable contribution to investigations into the potential impacts of sewage effluents on freshwater fish.
	The development of breast cancer is a complex issue and there are several recognised risk factors, including lifestyle and diet. However, there is currently no convincing evidence to link chemicals in the environment to breast cancer.

Law Infringements

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will list the environmental law infringements by the UK of which she ahs been notified since 1 January by the European Commission; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: A list of all infringements, including environmental, initiated by the European Commission against the UK, since 1 January 2005, can be found at: http://europa.eu.int/comm/secretariat_general/sgb/ droit_com on the European Commission website.

Management Consultancies

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which five management consultancies received the highest value of contracts awarded by her Department in each of the last three years; and what the total value was of the contracts awarded to each.

Jim Knight: The information is as listed in the following tables:
	
		200203
		
			   
		
		
			 P A Consulting Group 5,281,766.67 
			 Logica UK Ltd. 3,781,131.46 
			 Hedra Consortium 1,240,476.13 
			 Cornwell Management Consultants plc 915,374.51 
			 Deloitte Consulting 705,000.00 
		
	
	
		200304
		
			   
		
		
			 P A Consulting Group 6,899,587.19 
			 Deloitte M C S Ltd. 2,679,518.23 
			 Hedra Consortium 2,090,149.22 
			 Cornwell Management Consultants plc 2,057,281.94 
			 I B M United Kingdom Ltd. 1,505,892.18 
		
	
	
		200405
		
			   
		
		
			 P A Consulting Group 5,251,231.95 
			 Hedra Consortium 1,664,383.25 
			 Deloitte M C S Ltd. 1,607,051.16 
			 Q I Consulting 981,331.39 
			 Logica cmg 539,186.83

Management Consultancies

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her Department's total spending on management consultants has been in each of the last three years.

Jim Knight: The information requested is as follows:
	
		
		
			 Financial year Amount 
		
		
			 200203 15,317,093 
			 200304 20,260,714 
			 200405 14,122,596

Management Consultancies

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the total expenditure saved in each of the last three years as a result of implementing recommendations by management consultancies within her Department.

Jim Knight: The provision of an aggregated response across all business areas in Defra, covering all management consultancy engagements, would be a major administrative exercise which would give rise to disproportionate cost.
	Defra engages management consultants across its entire business, with the sole purpose of providing the Department with more effective delivery of the policy aims set by Ministers. The employment of private sector support is not, of itself, intended to provide savings on departmental expenditure, but rather enables progress to be made at a rate commensurate with meeting our strategic goals.
	Consultancy recommendations implemented by the Department ensure that Defra has sufficient capability and capacity to deliver its outcomes. The rationale for reliance on consultancy support is largely based on the need to bring sufficient resources with the appropriate skills to bear on critical programmes. The longer-term question of providing a more skilled and professionalised work force, which may in turn lessen reliance on external support, is of course being addressed as part of wider civil service reform.
	Defra's major programmes have benefited from the experience and expertise of management consultants, and the true benefits cannot be measured by a simple assessment of the direct costs incurred, but must include an analysis of the financial savings over the life of the programme, and the wider impact on Defra's customers and society in general.
	Defra is committed to maximising the value of its expenditure on management consultants, and has begun a programme to review how all professional services, including consultancy, are managed, and how to work more effectively across Whitehall to deliver savings on the services procured. Defra's new strategic partnership with IBM also offers the potential to rationalise consultancy support, and reduce expenditure on ad hoc call-off contracts.

Marine Environment

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the acidity levels of the world's oceans, with particular reference to the capacity to sustain ecosystems.

Ben Bradshaw: The Royal Society published last month a report on ocean acidification as a result of increased concentrations of carbon dioxide. This drew attention to the increased acidity which has already been observed, and predicted that further increases would have serious implications for marine ecosystems.
	The Department, jointly with DTI, has already funded some research at the Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML) on the impact of increased levels of carbon dioxide and the consequent acidification on the oceans and marine ecosystems.
	Earlier this year Defra, DTI the Norwegian Institute for Water Research and English Nature agreed to oversee a further programme of research with PML to investigate the potential impact of increased seawater acidity on shallow sea ecosystems, biodiversity and the health of key organisms, including their capacity to adapt. This will enable us to better understand and predict the consequences of the Increasing acidity of seawater.
	The OSPAR Commission for the protection of the marine environment of the North East Atlantic has begun work on an assessment of the implications of increased carbon dioxide levels. The United Kingdom will be contributing to this work, drawing on the results of the Royal Society study and of the work at PML.

Milk

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her estimate is of the proportion of milk (a) delivered by milkmen and (b) bought in shops in 200405.

Jim Knight: The most recent figures available show that in 2004, 13.5 per cent. of milk purchased by households was delivered by milkmen and 86.5 per cent. was bought in retail outlets.

Milk

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the average number of times a milk bottle is reused.

Ben Bradshaw: According to the Dairy Industry Association, the figure is nine times.

Newcastle Disease

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many birds have been affected by the outbreak of Newcastle Disease in Surrey; what assessment she has made of whether the disease was present in the birds when they were imported; what steps are being taken to trace other consignments of birds from the same origin; and what information she has received from the French authorities on (a) the origins of the disease and (b) the reasons it was not detected on the originating premises.

Ben Bradshaw: There are approximately 9,000 pheasants on the infected estate, which are being captured and then humanely slaughtered.
	The State Veterinary Service is tracing and finding details locally of all imports of pheasants in the last two months and movements related to the infected premises, The information will help give an indication of any likely disease spread. UK officials have contacted the French authorities regarding the outbreak and possible link to France, who have immediately began a thorough investigation. There has been a rapid exchange of information concerning the movement of birds between France and the infected premise in England.
	The French authorities identified a number of farms that had supplied birds to the infected farm and have undertaken active surveillance and sampling, which has now allowed them to conclude by blood sampling that birds on one farm have been exposed to the Newcastle Disease virus in the Loire Atlantique region of France, which has approximately 20,000 pheasants and 35,000 partridges. Although the source of infection for this farm has yet to be identified and virus isolation results are not yet available, the French authorities have taken decisive action to control the disease.
	We are working closely with the French authorities who are keeping us fully informed and who are carrying epidemiological investigations on the suspect farm to determine the source and any spread of the disease.

Newcastle Disease

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking to control the outbreak of Newcastle Disease in Surrey.

Ben Bradshaw: The Government's strategy is to stamp out and eradicate the disease outbreak quickly; to encourage keepers to use greater biosecurity and adopt vaccination; to reduce the impact on trade and the rural economy; and recover the UK status as free from Newcastle Disease as soon as possible.
	Defra acted immediately following suspicion of disease, control measures asset out in the Defra Exotic Animal Disease Generic Contingency Plan have formed the basis of the Government's response. Local and national disease control centres have been set up.
	Full control measures, as required by EU law, have been taken. Restrictions have been imposed upon the farm where the disease has been confirmed, which includes movement restrictions and biosecurity measures. In addition, a declaratory order has been made declaring an infected area and establishing a surveillance zone of 10 km around the infected premises to impose restrictions to prevent the spread of disease.
	The State Veterinary Service is tracing and finding details locally of all imports of pheasants in the last two months and movements related to the infected premises. The information will help give an indication of any likely disease spread.

Peat

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on commercial peat extraction, with particular reference to Cumbria; which areas have been confirmed under special protection status over the past 12 months; and which areas are being considered for special protection status.

Jim Knight: In the last 12 months no additional Cumbrian areas, being worked for peat, have been selected as Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) under the EC Habitats Directive. Two such areas, Solway Moss and Bolton Fell Moss, are currently under consideration for SAC status.

Pesticides/Chemicals (Royal Commission)

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations she has made to the Royal Commission on the use of pesticides and chemicals.

Elliot Morley: With respect to representations made regarding the Royal Commission's study into Bystander Exposure to Pesticides; Defra officials have provided written and oral briefing, answered specific questions raised by the Royal Commission and commented factually on the draft report.
	The Government's response to The Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution's 24th, Chemicals in Products, Safeguarding the Environment and Human Health was presented to Parliament by the Secretary of State in August 2004.

Pollution (Fines)

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list companies fined for pollution incidents in each of the past five years, broken down by amount of fine; how many were fined more than once in that period; and what steps are taken to combat repeat offences.

Ben Bradshaw: A list of all companies convicted of and fined for pollution offences by the Environment Agency (the Agency) in the calendar years 2000 to 2004 will be made available in the Library of the House.
	A list covering all companies convicted of and fined for pollution offences by the Agency more than once in the same five-year period will also be made available in the Library of the House.
	The Environment Agency uses protective, deterrent and incentive measures to tackle repeat offences.
	Protective measures include:
	enforcement notices to require companies to remedy technical defects; and
	increasing the level of oversight (such as monitoring, inspections and audits) at poor performing sites, including repeat offenders, through the use of risk-based regulation.
	Deterrent measures include:
	naming and shaming offenders in the Agency's annual Spotlight on business report (Spotlight 2004 will be published on 28 July 2005);
	increased charges for permits to reflect any additional oversight required;
	the Agency's Enforcement and Prosecution Policy which identifies repeat offenders and suggests firmer enforcement responses in instances of repeat offending; and
	fines and custodial sentences through the courts.
	Incentive measures include:
	recognising improved performance in the Agency's Spotlight on business report;
	reduced fees for better performers through risk-based charging schemes; and
	reduced oversight for operators that justify it.
	A list of successful prosecutions by local authorities from 200102 to 200304 will also be made available in the Library of the House. It is a matter for the individual local authorities to decide what steps to take regarding repeat offenders. The Local Government Association is a signatory to the Cabinet Office Enforcement Concordat.
	The Department is still collecting the data for successful prosecutions by local authorities in the year 200405, which will be published on the departmental website in December as part of the annual statistical report on the local authority pollution control systems.

Potato Ring Rot

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of whether all the potatoes identified as being infected with ring rot in this country were processed in the same grading station in Holland.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 11 July 2005
	A revised final potato ring rot report was published on 26 April this year which included new information arising from investigations by the Netherlands Plant Protection Service suggesting there may have been cross contamination of a number of stocks at a Dutch processing facility between December 2002 and March 2003. As the report explains, previous generations of the stocks from which infected potatoes in the UK outbreaks derived were processed at the facility concerned during the period in question, as were four stocks of different varieties which resulted in outbreaks in the Netherlands in 2004. Despite this common link, the resulting investigation in the Netherlands, which included enhanced testing of remaining stocks, has not identified the original source of infection, The report is available at http://www.defra.gov.uk/planth/ring/repfinal.htm.

Recycling

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much her Department has spent in the last year on measures to raise public awareness of recycling.

Ben Bradshaw: Defra has spent 16,168,903.75 in the last year 200405, on measures to raise public consciousness about recycling.

Recycling

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of (a) domestic, (b) commercial and (c) industrial refuse was recycled in (i) Sheffield and (ii) in the latest year for which figures are available.

Ben Bradshaw: Latest results are from the Defra Municipal Waste Management Survey, 200304 and the Environment Agency Nation Waste Production Survey, 199899 are shown as follows:
	
		Percentage of waste recycled
		
			  (a) Household (b) Commercial (c) Industrial 
		
		
			 Sheffield 11.7   
			 England 17.7   
			 South Yorkshire(4)  18.8 48.6 
			 England and Wales  23.9 44.1 
		
	
	(4)Results not available for Sheffield.
	Results from the Environment Agency National Waste Production Survey, 200203 are expected to be available in August 2005.

Red Diesel

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions she has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on steps to minimise increases in red diesel costs for the fishing and marine industries.

Ben Bradshaw: None. Marine diesel is already exempt from excise duty. However my officials are meeting representatives of the fishing industry to discuss the increase in fuel prices and how the industry can respond.

Rivers

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of the length of rivers in England and Wales was accessible to the public in (a) 1997 and (b) 2004.

Jim Knight: According to the feasibility study Improving Access for Canoeing on Inland Waters: A Study of the Feasibility of Access Agreements, published in May 2004 the lengths of water for canoeing on canals, rivers with public navigation rights and rivers with formal access agreements in England total over 5,000 km (34 per cent. of the major river and canal network). We do not hold figures for 1997.
	Responsibility for promoting recreation in Wales, including access to rivers, lies with the National Assembly for Wales and the Welsh Assembly Government rather than with Defra.

Rivers

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions she has had with (a) the Secretary of State for Culture Media and Sport, (b) the British Canoe Union and (c) others on improving the accessibility of rivers in England and Wales to the public.

Jim Knight: None recently but my officials have regular contact with those in the Department for Culture Media and Sport and I am making arrangements to meet the British Canoe Union.

Sea Fish

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the sea fish commonly found in UK waters whose numbers have declined since 1995; and if she will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: Fishery scientists from the UK and the other exploiting nations compile fisheries data, biological data and survey data in order to assess the status of fish stocks. The Advisory Committee on Fishery Management (ACFM) of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES), an independent scientific body, uses these data sources to provide information on the annual status of fish stocks.
	The state of the stocks is described in terms of the spawning stock biomass (SSB, the weight of mature fish), the fishing rate (F), and the number of juvenile fish (R, recruits in each year-class). One way in which the decline in fish numbers may be assessed is on the basis of changes in SSB from the level estimated for 1995 relative to the current estimate for 2004.
	Based on advice from the ACFM meeting of October 2004, which evaluated stock assessments using fisheries data for years up to and including 2003, and survey data up to and including 2004 the following stocks have shown a decline in SSB compared with 1995:
	
		
			  UK waters Sea fish 
		
		
			 (i) North sea Cod, Norway pout, sandeel and sole 
			 (ii) Irish sea Sole 
			 (iii) Eastern channel Plaice 
			 (iv) Western channel Sole 
			 (v) Celtic sea Cod, whiting and plaice 
		
	
	For a number of stocks it has not been possible to make a comparison because the level of SSB was uncertain in 2004. This includes some stocks which have shown a long term decline such as cod in the Irish sea and west of Scotland.

Sickness Absence

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many days the Department has lost due to sickness in the past five years for which figures are available.

Jim Knight: Figures are available in the annual report Analysis of Sickness Absence in the Civil Service published by the Cabinet Office, the most recent of which (for calendar year 2003) was announced by ministerial statement on 1 November 2004 and copies placed in the Libraries of the House.
	Reports are also available via the Cabinet Office website at: http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/management_information/conditions_of_service/caje/publications/index.asp#sickness.
	As Defra was formed in 2001, figures are only available for 2002 and 2003, and are summarised in the following table.
	
		
			  Column A: Average days absent per staff year Column B: Total staff years Total days absence. (column A X column B) 
		
		
			 2003 8.3 7,285 60,465 
			 2002 8.7 10,320 89,784 
		
	
	Defra is committed to the effective management of sickness absence and introduced a new policy for sickness absence management in December 2004, which introduced many of the recommendations of the recently published report Managing Sickness Absence in the Public Sector.

Special Advisers

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list (a) the special advisers in her Department, (b) their specific areas of expertise and (c) the total cost of employing them in the latest year for which figures are available.

Margaret Beckett: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Prime Minister on 4 July 2005, Official Report, column 36W.

State Veterinary Service

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many veterinary surgeons are employed in each office of the State Veterinary Service, broken down by (a) gender and (b) full or part-time employment.

Ben Bradshaw: The number of veterinarians employed by the State Veterinary Service will vary from time to time, The State Veterinary Service also engages local veterinary inspectors and temporary veterinary inspectors to act on its behalf as required.

Supermarkets

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to strengthen the supermarkets' code of practice; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Knight: Responsibility for the supermarket Code of Practice rests with the Office of Fair Trading. In March it invited comments from supermarkets, suppliers and stakeholders on issues to do with the code and wider competition concerns about the grocery market. It is currently considering the responses received.

Veterinary Surgeons Act

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she expects to publish conclusions on amending the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966; and what assessment she has made of the recent proposals of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 19 July 2005
	The Government remain committed to modernising the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 as soon as parliamentary time allows. An analysis of the results of our public consultation on the future regulation of the veterinary profession has been published on the Department's website.
	I welcome the proposals from the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) Council which are currently being considered by veterinarians and other interested parties. It would be premature for me to make any comment at this stage on the specific proposals. However, a new Bill must provide a proportionate level of regulation to protect the public interest. This will involve striking the right balance between public concerns about self regulation, the standards expected of veterinarians by their clients, the protection of animal welfare and the costs to both veterinary practices and individual vets. We should also take proper account of developments in the regulation of other professions.
	My officials will seek a general discussion with the RCVS once the results of the consultation are available. We will also consult other interested parties before deciding how to move these issues forward.

Waste and Emissions Trading Act

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs under what circumstances her Department may decide not to fine a local authority which failed to meet its landfill allowance requirements under the Waste and Emissions Trading Act 2003.

Ben Bradshaw: The Secretary of State has the power under section 26(1)(c) of the Waste and Emissions Trading Act 2003 (the WET Act) to waive financial penalties for an authority that exceeds its landfill allowances. The Secretary of State's policy in relation to the exercise of these powers is set out in a guidance document available on the Defra website http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/waste/localauth/lats/pdf/lats-s26guide.pdf.
	In summary, the Secretary of State's policy is to be very selective about the exercise of her powers under section 26(1)(c) (ii). In general, she will only waive a financial penalty in circumstances where it can be demonstrated that an authority's failure to meet its duty under section 9(1) of the WET Act was primarily due to circumstances beyond the authority's control.

Waste Disposal

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much of the (a) paper, (b) plastic, (c) glass, (d) aluminium and (e) steel waste collected in London in 2004 was (i)reprocessed within London, (ii) reprocessed in the UK but outside London and (iii) exported for reprocessing; and to which countries such material was exported.

Ben Bradshaw: Defra does not collect information on the amount of paper, plastic, glass, aluminium and steel collected in London which is then reprocessed within London or reprocessed in the UK but outside London. In general, these wastes would be classified as non-hazardous and their notification of export for reprocessing is not required unless specific countries of destination have made a request to the European Commission for additional controls. In these cases notification to the Environment Agency would be required. No such notifications were made to the Environment Agency during 2004.
	Through their contractors, local authorities will know to which destinations these materials are sent and the quantities involved so that they can ensure that they are complying with the requirements of the duty of care i.e. that the material is being transported by properly licensed waste carriers, delivered to an authorised person and that the relevant documents, such as a waste transfer note, are retained by them for the prescribed period.

Water Charges

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will update the rules which allow water companies to base charges to customers on national rateable values of their property.

Elliot Morley: Defra will be working with Ofwat to update the existing analysis of the relative distributional effects of rateable value and council tax in the light of the findings of the Lyons Inquiry into local government funding and any consequential changes to council tax, We will also consider, in the light of that work, the case for a review of the current rateable value based charging system for households paying an unmeasured charge. The Lyons Inquiry is due to report by the end of 2005,

Wild Animals

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make it her policy to ban the use of wild animals in circuses.

Ben Bradshaw: The introduction of the welfare offences as part of the Animal Welfare Bill will raise the welfare standards for domestic and captive animals kept by man, including circus animals, We have no plans to ban the use of wild animals in circuses, but we do recognise that the issue will come under close scrutiny when the Animal Welfare Bill is considered by Parliament.

World Trade Organisation (Environmental Incentives)

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the effects of non-agricultural market access negotiations within the World Trade Organisation on the ability of the Government to provide environmentally beneficial fiscal incentives.

Margaret Beckett: The Government's objective in the non-agricultural market access (NAMA) negotiations is to ensure that improvements in trading conditions that benefit exporters, importers and consumers also facilitate sustainable development and good governance.
	These negotiations are at an early exploratory stage. However, at this point the Government do not believe that the NAMA outcome will affect the ability of the Government to pursue environmental objectives.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Advertising

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much the Department spent on advertising in each of the last five years.

Peter Hain: The total expenditure on advertising by the 11 Northern Ireland departments in the year 200304 was 3,729,756.
	The figure for the Northern Ireland Office in the same period was 194,954.
	The information requested for the other years could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Alcohol-related Crime

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people in Northern Ireland have been convicted of crimes in which alcohol has been a contributory factor in each of the last five years.

Shaun Woodward: Statistics relating to offences where alcohol may have been a contributory factor are not available as conviction data sources do not collate background information relating to the commission of offences.

Cancer Services

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much money the Government have spent on cancer services in Northern Ireland in each of the past five years.

Shaun Woodward: We estimate that the total acute hospital expenditure on cancer services was some 62 million in the financial year 200203 and some 72 million in the financial year 200304. This figure is expected to increase still further in future years.
	Further financial information could be made available only at disproportionate cost.

CCTV

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many CCTV cameras he estimates are operating on streets in Northern Ireland; and how many towns are covered by CCTV.

Shaun Woodward: Aside from privately owned CCTV cameras upon which I cannot comment, PSNI manages CCTV systems in four locations incorporating 79 cameras as shown in the table.
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 South Belfast 29 
			 North Belfast 30 
			 East Belfast 11 
			 Craigavon (5)9 
		
	
	(5)Portadown town centre scheme
	In addition, town centre CCTV schemes operate in a further 17 different locations throughout Northern Ireland.

CCTV

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of the number of CCTV cameras in operation in Belfast city centre.

Shaun Woodward: While I cannot comment in respect of privately owned CCTV cameras such as those operated by traders, the Police Service of Northern Ireland has 29 CCTV cameras in operation in the city centre.

Child Protection

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will ensure (a) that the new child care protection legislation will contain the elements which were to be part of a Northern Ireland Assembly Private Member's Bill designed to strengthen the operation of area child protection committees and (b) that the new legislation will be a priority for the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety.

Shaun Woodward: I can confirm that, in bringing forward new Child Protection legislation, the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety will consider the elements of the Northern Ireland Assembly Private Member's Bill designed to strengthen the operation of Area Child Protection Committees and that this legislation will be a priority for the Department.

Disability Living Allowance

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many pensioners in East Belfast constituency are in receipt of disability living allowance, broken down by (a) care and (b) mobility components.

David Hanson: The information requested is shown in the table for May 2005.
	
		
			 Component Number of pensioners 
		
		
			 Care only 253 
			 Mobility only 356 
			 Care and mobility 1,884 
			 Belfast East Total 2,493 
		
	
	Additional information on combined care and mobility awards is provided to avoid double counting.
	Constituency is assigned using the claimant's postcode, if the postcode is missing it is not possible to assign a constituency.

Domestic Violence

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people have been convicted of domestic violence offences in Northern Ireland in each of the last 10 years.

Shaun Woodward: Domestic violence is not a statutory offence and therefore the information requested is not available.

Energy Suppliers (Customer Advice)

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what procedures are in place to monitor the quality of advice provided by energy suppliers to their domestic customers; what formal qualifications are required of persons providing such advice; and what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the provision of such advice.

Angela Smith: The Northern Ireland Authority for Energy Regulation (NIAER) monitors the provision by Northern Ireland Electricity (NIE) and Phoenix Natural Gas of energy efficiency advice to customers through the published annual reviews of its social action plans.
	Basic advice on the efficient use of electricity is provided by Northern Ireland Electricity's call handlers who attend regular training sessions provided by the Energy Saving Trust (EST) Advice Centre, and EAGA Partnership Ltd. which has been contracted by the Department for Social Development to administer the warm homes scheme. In addition, Northern Ireland Electricity's team of field service representatives provide advice to customers in their homes. The team members are required to obtain the City and Guilds 6176 Energy Awareness qualification.
	Basic advice on the efficient use of gas is provided by the call handlers in Phoenix Natural Gas who are trained internally. This advice is also provided by Phoenix Natural Gas sales staff who are required to obtain the City and Guilds 6176 Energy Awareness qualification.
	Calls received by Northern Ireland Electricity and Phoenix Natural Gas call handlers can also be referred to the EST advice centre. The centre has signed up to the Energy Advice Providers' Code of Practice and all EST advice centre staff are required to obtain the City and Guilds 6176 Energy Awareness qualification.
	The NIAER is satisfied that the advice provided by Northern Ireland Electricity, Phoenix Natural Gas and the EST advice centre to domestic customers is of good quality and complies with best practice in using energy more efficiently.

Fire Officers (Assaults)

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many fire officers have been hospitalised as a result of being assaulted while on duty during the past 12 months.

Shaun Woodward: During the period 1 July 2004 to 30 June 2005 a total of four firelighters were hospitalised as a result of being assaulted while on duty.

Heart By-pass Operations

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many heart by-pass operations were carried out in NHS hospitals in Northern Ireland in each year since 1995.

Shaun Woodward: The number of heart by-pass operations performed in hospitals in Northern Ireland in each year since 199495, is detailed in the following table.
	
		Heart by-pass operations in Northern Ireland
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 199495 845 
			 199596 872 
			 199697 872 
			 199798 834 
			 199899 763 
			 19992000 599 
			 200001 581 
			 200102 501 
			 200203 530 
			 200304 483 
		
	
	Source:
	Hospital In-patients System

Homelessness

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people in Northern Ireland are classified as homeless.

David Hanson: During the 200405 year 17,362 households presented to the Housing Executive as homeless in Northern Ireland of which 8,470 households were accepted as full duty homeless cases. A full duty applicant is someone to whom the Housing Executive owes a duty under the Housing (NI) Order 1988.

Homelessness

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people in Upper Bann are officially classified as homeless.

David Hanson: During the 200405 year 1,061 households presented to the Housing Executive as homeless in Upper Bann of which 376 households were accepted as full duty homelessness cases. A full duty applicant is someone to whom the Housing Executive owes a duty under the Housing (NI) Order 1988.

Homosexuals (Assaults)

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of the number of attacks on homosexuals in Northern Ireland that were perpetrated by other homosexuals in each of the last 10 years.

Shaun Woodward: The information requested is not available.

Hospital Chaplaincies

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how members of churches other than the four main churches are provided for by way of hospital chaplaincies at each hospital in Northern Ireland.

Shaun Woodward: Each HSS Trust has appointed chaplains from the Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Church of Ireland and Methodist churches to provide pastoral support and other services in each Trust hospital. Hospital chaplaincy services provided by Trusts for members of other denominations are set out in the following table.
	
		Hospital chaplaincies
		
			 HSS Trust Service 
		
		
			 Altnagelvin HSS Trust The Methodist chaplains provide a service for other denominations. 
			 Armagh and Dungannon HSS Trust At St. Luke's, Longstone and Mullinure hospitals, the Methodist chaplains provide a service for other denominations in the first instance. If requested to do so, the Trust organizes specific religious attendances for members of a non-Christian Church or faith. 
			 Belfast City Hospital HSS Trust The Methodist Chaplain makes an initial visit to patients who do not belong to one of the four main churches. If requested to do so, the Methodist Chaplain would liaise with the appropriate faith leader to ensure that patients receive the necessary pastoral support. 
			 Causeway HSS Trust The Methodist Chaplain is responsible for co-ordinating the pastoral needs of those patients who do not belong to one of the four main denominations. Causeway Hospital Chapel is interdenominational reflecting a Christian ethos. Patients who are not Christian, or who do not practise any religion and who do not wish to use the Chapel, can use a quiet room for reflection as organised by the Ward Manager. 
			 Craigavon Area Hospital Group Trust The Methodist Chaplain has responsibility for the care of members of other religious groups who do not fall within the four main denominations. 
			 Craigavon and Banbridge Community HSS Trust Within the Psychiatric Unit, which is situated on Craigavon Area Hospital Group Trust site, all Wards have contact numbers for those churches other than the four main churches. The Psychiatric Unit avails of the services provided by Craigavon Area Hospital Group Trust, such as the Church facility, which is a multi-faith church. The Trust also facilitates requests from patients within the Psychiatric Unit, who wish to have contact with their own Minister. 
			 Down Lisburn HSS Trust The Methodist Chaplain provides a service for other denominations and is the link for patients and their spiritual provider. 
			 Foyle HSS Trust If an individual requires the assistance of a church outside the four main denominations, hospital staff at Stradreagh, Gransha or Waterside Hospitals would make contact with the local church. 
			 Homefirst If requested, any of the four chaplains at Holy well hospital would provide the initial link between patients from other denominations or religious faiths and their cleric/faith leader. 
			 Mater Hospital HSS Trust If a patient is from a church other than the four main churches, the Trust asks the patient if they wish to contact a chaplain, or if they wish the Trust to do this on their behalf. For any other issues, the Trust involves the Patient Support Officer. 
			 Newry and Mourne HSS Trust The Methodist chaplain makes an initial visit to patients who do not belong to one of the four main churches. On request, the Methodist Chaplain would liaise with the appropriate faith leader to ensure that patients receive the necessary pastoral support. 
			 North and West Belfast HSS Trust The Methodist minister looks after the spiritual needs of patients who do not belong to one of the four main churches. 
			 Royal Group of Hospitals HSS Trust The Royal hospitals chaplaincy service accommodates all Christian and non-Christian faiths. For patients of non-Christian denominations, the Trust's Chaplains liaise with faith representatives in the community to ensure that patients obtain support from their individual faith leaders. The Trust also provides a quiet room for visitors and patients for Christian and non-Christian prayer. Prayer mats, copies of the Koran, Hebrew scriptures, Hebrew Bible and washing facilities are also available. 
			 South and East Belfast HSS Trust The hospital administration and nursing departments contact other clerics/faith leaders as required for other denominations. 
			 Sperrin Lakeland HSS Trust The Methodist Chaplain looks after patients with unknown or other religions. 
			 Ulster Community and Hospitals Trust The Methodist Chaplain deals with all other denominations outside of the main churches. Contact details for the local Rabbi for the Jewish community and a representative for Jehovah Witness are available if they are required. 
			 United Hospitals Trust In Whiteabbey, Mid Ulster, Antrim and Braid Valley hospitals, the Methodist Chaplain deals with all denominations outside of the main churches. The Presbyterian Chaplain provides this service at Moyle Hospital.

Hospitals (Alcohol-related Conditions)

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people were treated by accident and emergency departments in Northern Ireland hospitals for alcohol-related conditions and injuries in the last 12 months.

Shaun Woodward: Information on the number of people treated by accident and emergency departments for alcohol-related conditions and injuries is not collected centrally.

Hospitals (Assaults)

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many hospital staff in Northern Ireland have been hospitalised as a result of assault while on duty during the past 12 months.

Shaun Woodward: There have been 3,825 physical attacks recorded against HPSS staff during the period 1 April 2004 to 31 March 2005. Detailed information about the hospitalisation of these staff is not held centrally and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Hospitals (Assaults)

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many accident and emergency hospital staff in Northern Ireland have been the victims of assault while on duty during the past 12 months.

Shaun Woodward: There have been 3,825 physical attacks recorded against HPSS staff during the period 1 April 2004 to 31 March 2005. Detailed information about the department in which the attack took place is not held centrally and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Hospitals (Complaints)

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many complaints have been made about the quality of care and treatment in hospitals in Northern Ireland in the last five years, broken down by hospital.

Shaun Woodward: Information on the number of complaints made about the quality of care and treatment is not available by hospital. However, information is available by Trust and is detailed in the table. The Trusts are categorised according to whether they are Hospital Trusts, Community Trusts, Mixed (Hospital and Community) Trusts, or other Trusts.
	
		Number of complaints received by each Health and Social Services trustrecorded against Treatment and Care (quality) category, by type of Trust and year
		
			 Health and Social Services Trust 200001 200102 200203 200304 200405(6) 
		
		
			 Belfast City Hospital 30 48 32 61 41 
			 Green Park 18 14 4 5 16 
			 Mater Infirmorum 22 27 37 27 27 
			 Royal Group of Hospitals 114 109 105 89 132 
			 United Hospitals 77 53 79 72 96 
			 Craigavon Area Group 84 71 55 41 66 
			 Altnagelvin Group 51 65 42 37 47 
			 Total Hospital Trusts 396 387 354 332 425 
			 North and West Belfast 6 11 17 11 19 
			 South and East Belfast 31 28 35 43 49 
			 Homefirst 22 24 42 104 37 
			 Craigavon and Banbridge 4 2 3 4 22 
			 Foyle 7 5 11 13 15 
			 Total Community Trusts 70 70 108 175 142 
			 Down Lisburn 66 45 56 52 53 
			 Ulster Community and Hospitals 100 71 59 54 54 
			 Causeway 44 66 73 59 62 
			 Armagh and Dungannon 22 22 9 18 14 
			 Newry and Mourne 22 33 23 27 27 
			 Sperrin Lakeland 25 20 18 19 19 
			 Total Mixed Trusts 279 257 238 229 229 
			 Northern Ireland Ambulance Service 31 34 24 23 22 
			 Total Other Trusts 31 34 24 23 22 
			 Total Northern Ireland 776 748 724 759 818 
		
	
	(6)Figures for 200405 are provisional and may be subject to change.
	Source:
	CHS

Housing Executive

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the funding to the Housing Executive for Northern Ireland has been in each of the last 10 years, broken down by region.

David Hanson: The Department for Social Development funded the Northern Ireland Housing Executive the following amounts of Housing Deficit Grant in each of the last 10 years:
	
		
			   million 
		
		
			 199596 167.713 
			 199697 184.790 
			 199798 193.019 
			 199899 210.531 
			 19992000 200.352 
			 200001 195.567 
			 200102 202.088 
			 200203 226.111 
			 200304 226.142 
			 200405 219.446 
		
	
	The information is not available by region.

Human Rights Commission

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what criteria were applied in the selection of members of the Human Rights Commission in Northern Ireland.

David Hanson: At both stages of the process (sift and interview), the Commissioner applicants were assessed against four criteria. The Chief Commissioner applicants were assessed against six, including the four used for the Commissioner.
	The criteria applying for both Chief Commissioner and Commissioner posts were: corporate focus; responsibility and accountability; judgment and strategic thinking; and specialist expertise.
	The two additional criteria for Chief Commissioner applicants were leadership; and management in a challenging environment.

Human Rights Commission

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the (a) community, (b) religious and (c) political background is of the new appointees to the Human Rights Commission in Northern Ireland.

David Hanson: In accordance with the guidelines of the Office of the Commissioner for Pubic Appointments (OCPA), applicants for the position of chief commissioner and commissioner were asked to declare political activity undertaken in the last five years, as defined in eight categories.
	The press release of 16 June which announced the new chief commissioner and commissioners to the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, set out this activity as follows:
	Professor Monica Me Williamsfounder member of the NI Women's Coalition and was an MLA 19982003. Professor McWilliams indicated that she would step down from her involvement with the NI Women's Coalition.
	Professor Colin HarveyMember of the Policy Committee of the SDLP from 200102, and has canvassed for the party in recent years.
	Jonathan BellIndependent, then Democratic Unionist Party, Councillor on Craigavon Borough Council until May 2005. Since May 2005 Ards Borough Councillor, Democratic Unionist Party.
	Ann HopeCanvassed on behalf of the Northern Ireland Women's Coalition at elections.
	Eamonn O'Neillcurrently SDLP Councillor, Down Council (leader of SDLP group). Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly 19982003Chaired the Assembly's Culture, Arts and Leisure Committee.
	Geraldine RiceAlliance Party of Northern Ireland Councillor on Castlereagh Borough Council since 1989. Elected Deputy Mayor May 2005.
	The equal opportunities monitoring form completed by all candidates asked candidates to declare their background as being of the Protestant community; of the Roman Catholic community or neither a Protestant or Roman Catholic community background.
	The community background of the seven commissioners and one chief commissioner as indicated in their forms is as follows:
	Protestantthree
	Roman Catholicthree
	Neither Protestant or Roman Catholic community backgroundtwo

Human Rights Commission

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people appointed to the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission have declared their membership of (a) the Communist party, (b) the Northern Ireland Women's Coalition, (c) the Social Democratic and Labour party, (d) the Ulster Unionist party, (e) the Democratic Unionist party, (f) the Alliance party and (g) Sinn Fein.

David Hanson: The political activity monitoring forms returned with the application forms did not request political party membership details, but asked about any political activity, defined in certain categories that the applicants had undertaken in the last five years. This is a requirement set by the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments (OCPA) guidance.
	The parties in relation to which the appointed candidates declared political activity in the last five years were recorded as:
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 (a) Communist party 0 
			 (b) Northern Ireland Women's Coalition 2 
			 (c) Social Democratic and Labour party 1 
			 (d) Ulster Unionist party 1 
			 (e) Democratic Unionist party 1 
			 (f) Alliance party 1 
			 (g) Sinn Fein 0 
		
	
	One individual declared activity within the last five years for two parties, the Ulster Unionist party and the Democratic Unionist party. This is reflected in the statistics.

Lifeguards

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which local government councils employ lifeguards along the coastline in their borough or district; and how many lifeguards are employed in each.

Angela Smith: This information is not held centrally.

Mental Health Consultants

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the average length of time was for a person referred to a mental health consultant to be seen by that consultant in Northern Ireland in the last year for which figures are available.

Shaun Woodward: Information about average waiting times is not collected centrally.
	I refer the hon. Member to the March 2005 edition of the Quarterly Waiting List Statistics Release which can be found in the House Library or http://www.dhsspsni.gov.uk/publications/2005/info-Release-Mar05.pdf
	Tables 7a and 7b in this publication provide a breakdown of outpatients waiting for a first appointment by specialty and timeband and Table 8 provides this information by Programme of Care and timeband.

Motoring Offences

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people in Northern Ireland have been convicted for (a) careless driving and (b) motoring offences that resulted in a fatality in each of the last five years.

Shaun Woodward: The following tables provide the information requested between 1999 and 2003, the latter being the most up-to-date figures currently available.
	
		Total number of convictions in Northern Irelandfor careless driving1999 to 2003
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 1999 2,159 
			 2000 2,371 
			 2001 1,975 
			 2002 1,556 
			 2003 1,692 
		
	
	
		Total number of convictions in Northern Ireland for motoring offences that resulted in a fatality1999 to 2003
		
			  Convictions for motoring offences resulting in a fatality 
		
		
			 1999 20 
			 2000 17 
			 2001 15 
			 2002 10 
			 2003 24

Myeloma

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether approval is pending for Velcade treatment for people with myeloma; and if he will make a statement on available treatments in Northern Ireland for myeloma.

Shaun Woodward: The drug Velcade is licensed for use in Northern Ireland and clinicians are in a position to prescribe the product, taking account of the clinical circumstances of the individual patient, the licensed indications and in the context of local prescribing budgets.
	There are a wide range of treatments for myeloma in Northern Ireland, including chemotherapy, radiotherapy, blood transfusion and a range of medicines both to treat the underlying disease and provide symptomatic relief for the individual. Many emerging therapies and combination therapy regimens are currently being tested in clinical trials.

Parliamentarians (State Benefits)

William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what state benefits have been received by each of the Sinn Fein (a) members of the Legislative Assembly, (b) Members of Parliament and (c) Members of the European Parliament in the last 10years.

David Hanson: We are unable to provide the information requested as it is personal data and its release would breach data protection principles.

Police

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much has been spent using credit cards held by senior police officers in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years.

Shaun Woodward: Credit cards, used solely for business purposes to cover expenditure such as travel and accommodation, are available solely to the top team of senior managers in the Police Service of Northern Ireland.
	The table illustrates the total credit card expenditure by the top team of senior managers for the last three financial years.
	The periods prior to this are no longer held on the PSNI financial systems, and are only available as archived records. To trawl such records would involve a manual trawl at disproportionate cost.
	This expenditure has been included in the PSNI accounts and subject to audit as with all other expenditure.
	
		
			  Total spend () 
		
		
			 200203 31,113.62 
			 200304 39,954.76 
			 200405 23,113.16

Police Service

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how the Belfast city centre beat arrangement between the Police Service Northern Ireland and Belfast city traders and Chamber of Commerce is being funded.

Shaun Woodward: The partnership agreement will provide two dedicated police officers to address issues specific to the city centre, including:
	Illegal street trading
	Antisocial behaviour
	The basic salary cost of both officers will be funded by the partners. The lead partner is Belfast City Centre Management, who received funding from Belfast city council and the Chamber of Trade. The Police Service of Northern Ireland will meet all other costs as part of the pilot of this new initiative.

Population Statistics

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people over the age of 18 years and below pensionable age there are in each (a) constituency, (b) council area and (c) postcode area in Northern Ireland.

Angela Smith: Population estimates at 30 June 2003 for persons aged 18 and over but less than pensionable age (60 years for women and 65 years for men) for each parliamentary constituency and local government district are given in the following tables. Population estimates by age for individual postcodes in Northern Ireland are not available.
	
		Table 1: Usually resident mid-year population estimate (2003)for each parliamentary constituency for personsaged 18 and over and less than pensionable age
		
			 Parliamentary constituency Number 
		
		
			 Belfast East 43,600 
			 Belfast North 45,400 
			 Belfast South 60,700 
			 Belfast West 47,600 
			 East Antrim 50,300 
			 East Londonderry 52,100 
			 Fermanagh and South Tyrone 53,200 
			 Foyle 62,100 
			 Lagan Valley 61,200 
			 Mid Ulster 51,000 
			 Newry and Armagh 59,200 
			 North Antrim 59,700 
			 North Down 50,700 
			 South Antrim 60,400 
			 South Down 61,400 
			 Strangford 58,800 
			 Upper Bann 61,000 
			 West Tyrone 51,000 
		
	
	
		Table 2: Usually resident mid-year population estimate (2003)for each local government district for personsaged 18 and over and less than pensionable age
		
			 Local government district Number 
		
		
			 Antrim 29,500 
			 Ards 44,200 
			 Armagh 31,900 
			 Ballymena 34,500 
			 Ballymoney 16,000 
			 Banbridge 25,500 
			 Belfast 158,500 
			 Carrickfergus 22,700 
			 Castlereagh 37,500 
			 Coleraine 32,000 
			 Cookstown 19,300 
			 Craigavon 47,500 
			 Derry 62,100 
			 Down 37,500 
			 Dungannon 27,700 
			 Fermanagh 33,700 
			 Larne 18,000 
			 Limavady 20,100 
			 Lisburn 64,200 
			 Magherafelt 23,600 
			 Moyle 9,200 
			 Mewry and Mourne 51,100 
			 Newtownabbey 47,200 
			 North Down 45,300 
			 Omagh 28,800 
			 Strabane 22,200

Post-primary Education

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much money he has allocated to the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools to undertake a review of post-primary education in the Catholic sector; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Smith: Additional resources of 508,000 have been allocated to the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools in the current financial year to enable it to support and facilitate schools in the Catholic managed sector to develop collaborative arrangements with other schools and further education colleges to provide access to the entitlement framework and generally to support work by schools to prepare for the implementation of new post-primary arrangements. A total of 510,000 has been allocated to the education and library boards for the same purpose.

Premature Baby Units

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much funding was allocated to Northern Ireland's premature baby units in each of the last five years; and what plans he has to change such funding.

Shaun Woodward: The Department allocates funding to the Health and Social Services Boards under an agreed capitation formula that recognises the healthcare needs of the populations within each Board area. Resources are, therefore, not centrally allocated to the funding of specific services such as premature baby units.
	Boards use their allocated funding to commission a range of maternity and paediatric services, including provision for premature babies. They continuously review their allocations in light of emerging priorities and changes in demand for specific services in their area.

Premature Baby Units

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many staff were employed in each premature baby unit in Northern Ireland in each of the past five years, broken down by grade.

Shaun Woodward: The information requested has been placed in the Library.

Prosecution Service

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on plans for a Public Prosecution Service Office in Derry.

David Hanson: The procedure for the opening of the PPS Regional Offices is a phased rollout over a period beginning with the creation of the first PPS Pilot in December 2003 and completion by December 2006. A public procurement programme is in place to acquire suitable premises capable, in the case of Londonderry of accommodating some 60 staff. At this point a number of sites in the Londonderry area are being considered.
	The PPS Project Board intends to meet the December 2006 deadline for the completion of the PPS Rollout.

Public Transport (Violence)

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) bus drivers and (b) railway employees in Northern Ireland have been the victim of offences of violence in each of the last 10years.

Shaun Woodward: Translink has advised that the number of reported assaults against on-duty bus drivers over the past 10 years is as follows:
	
		Bus drivers
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 1995 48 
			 1996 90 
			 1997 89 
			 1998 97 
			 1999 75 
			 2000 64 
			 2001 78 
			 2002 72 
			 2003 40 
			 2004 25 
			 January to June 2005 11 
		
	
	Translink has advised that similar statistics relating to its railway employees are not available within the available timescale. I shall reply to the hon. Gentleman with that information as soon as possible.

Racist Attacks

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people in Northern Ireland have been the victim of racist attacks in each of the last 10 years.

David Hanson: The following table shows the number of racist incidents recorded by the Police Service of Northern Ireland in the last seven financial years for which data is available.
	The Police Service of Northern Ireland record the number of incidents which are perceived to be racial, by the victim or any other person, whether a crime has occurred or not.
	
		
			  Number of racist incidents recorded by PSNI 
		
		
			 199899 93 
			 19992000 237 
			 200001 260 
			 200102 185 
			 200203 226 
			 200304 453 
			 200405 813

Racist Attacks

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people have been convicted of racially motivated crimes in Northern Ireland in each of the last 10 years.

David Hanson: Data relating to convictions for crimes with a racial motivation are available for 200304 and 200405.
	In 200304, 23 crimes with a racial motivation resulted in a conviction or a caution. The respective figure for 200405 was 70.

Regional Transportation Plan

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress the Government have made in the implementation of each category of the Regional Transportation Plan approved by the Northern Assembly before suspension.

Shaun Woodward: My Department continues to be committed to the delivery of the Regional Transport Strategy for Northern Ireland (RTS). Good progress has been made, with the launch of the Belfast Metropolitan Transport Plan, the Regional Strategic Transport Network Transport Plan and further development of the Sub Regional Transport Plan. An Accessible Transport Strategy has also been published. Together these provide a very good framework for moving forward on transport initiatives. My Department produces a RTS Annual Monitoring Report, which outlines progress on all aspects of the Strategy. The latest report for 200405 is now available on the Department's internet site and conventional printed copies of the report will be sent shortly to elected representatives and other interested parties. Copies of the report will also be available in the Library.

Residential Homes

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many beds for elderly people in residential homes there have been in each year between May 1998 and the latest available date.

Shaun Woodward: The information requested is not available for May 1998, as it is collected annually at 31 March. Information collected on the number of beds for elderly people in residential homes for each of the years requested is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  As at 31 March  Number of beds Difference from previous year 
		
		
			 1998 4,876  
			 1999 4,836 -40 
			 2000 4,726 -110 
			 2001 4,579 -147 
			 2002 4,596 17 
			 2003 4,706 110 
			 2004 4,624 -82

School Bullying

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what statistics schools in Northern Ireland are required to collect on incidents of bullying.

Angela Smith: There is no requirement for schools to collect statistics on incidents of bullying.
	However, when a pupil is suspended from school, the school must complete a notification of pupil suspension form, which is forwarded to the local education and library board. The reason for suspension is recorded on the form. The reasons for suspension, including bullying, have been collected by the Department from 200203 school year and the information is available on the Department's website at www.deni.gov.uk/facts_figures/education_stats/index_other.htm.

School Bullying

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many complaints about the handling of incidents of bullying in schools in Northern Ireland have been lodged in each of the last five years.

Angela Smith: The information the Department holds regarding complaints about the handling of incidents of bullying in schools comes from written cases referred to it. The number of complaints in each of the last five school years is as follows.
	
		
			 School year Number of complaints 
		
		
			 200001 20 
			 200102 8 
			 200203 9 
			 200304 3 
			 200405 7

Taxi Drivers (Violence)

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many taxi drivers in Northern Ireland have been the victim of offences of violence in each of the last 10 years.

Shaun Woodward: The information requested is only available from April 2001. The following table provides figures relating to the number of violent crimes (offences against the person, sexual offences, and robbery) in which the victim's occupation or victim type was given as Taxi Driver. It should be noted that it is not known whether the taxi driver was actually working at the time of the offence, and therefore these figures do not provide an accurate reflection of how many taxi drivers have been attacked while working.
	
		
			  Number of incidents 
		
		
			 200102 115 
			 200203 137 
			 200304 89 
			 200405 101

Ulster Hospital

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the bed capacity is of the Ulster hospital.

Shaun Woodward: Bed capacity is currently 593 at the Ulster hospital.

Water Rates

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the conclusions of the Equality Impact Assessment were on the impact of reforming water rates on (a) Protestant areas and (b) middle class socio-economic groups.

Shaun Woodward: The information requested is as follows:
	(a) A draft Equality Impact Assessment (EQIA), was issued for consultation on 29 November 2004 as part of an Integrated Impact Assessment (IIA) of the Water Reform proposals. The EQIA concluded that a charging system based on property capital values would result in Protestants being likely to bear a disproportionately greater burden of domestic water and sewerage charges, reflecting the fact that there is a markedly higher representation of Protestants in those areas of Northern Ireland with higher house prices.
	(b) Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 requires public bodies to give due regard to the need to promote equality of opportunity across nine specific groups: age; gender; religious belief; political opinion; sexual orientation; marital status; dependants; disabled; and race. The draft EQIA does not therefore reach conclusions on the basis of class or socio-economic groupings.
	The conclusions of the draft EQIA are currently being reviewed in light of the comments made in the consultation and the evidence submitted of negative impacts on other Section 75 Groups, including pensioners, the disabled and other Section 75 Groups living in low-income households. The results of this review will be reflected in the final Equality Impact Assessment which will issue with the IIA Consultation Report later in the year.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Members' Allowances

Andrew Dismore: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what consultations the Commission will hold with hon. Members on plans to change hon. Members' stationery and postage allowances; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Harvey: The Commission has been considering the level of expenditure by Members on stationery and pre-paid envelopes, which is a charge on the administration estimate. No change will be made to the current entitlement regime without consultation.

Security Barriers (Bridge Street)

Andrew Turner: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what consultation took place with Transport for London before the installation of steel security barriers in Bridge Street; and what steps will be taken to enable the 211 bus from Waterloo to stop conveniently for visitors to Portcullis House.

Nick Harvey: Before the installation of the security barriers, Transport for London and Westminster city council were consulted about the implications for traffic operations including buses. The current relocation of the bus stop is considered to be the best option in the circumstances.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Asbestos

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what advice he has received from the Health and Safety Commission concerning the implementation of the asbestos hazard management regulations; and what resources are being applied to the enforcement of the regulatory requirements for asbestos hazard management.

Margaret Hodge: In its annual report for 200405, the Health and Safety Commission reported that the campaign to raise awareness of the duty to manage asbestos continued in order to encourage increased compliance amongst dutyholders. One of the important elements of the campaign last year was the launch of the successful video How are you managing?.
	Health and Safety Executive inspectors are working in a number of ways to encourage dutyholders to comply with the legal requirement to manage asbestos. These include visits to large organisations' head offices, site visits and presentations at events. The planned resource for this work in 200506 is similar that allocated in the preceding year when more than 1,000 visits were conducted. At the majority of these visits improvements were secured by the provision of advice but on at least 50 occasions enforcement notices were issued.

Attendance Allowance

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how much attendance allowance has been withheld from pensioners in self-funded care homes in Scotland since the introduction of free personal care in Scotland;
	(2)  how many people in Scotland have been paid attendance allowance for which they are ineligible as a result of being in receipt of free personal care; whether the Department intends to seek repayment of such overpayments; and if he will make a statement.

Anne McGuire: The administration of attendance allowance is a matter for the Chief Executive of the Disability and Carers Service, Mr. Terry Moran. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	Letter from Terry Moran to Mr. Danny Alexander, dated 21 July 2005
	In response to your recent Parliamentary Questions, the Minister for Disabled People, Anne McGuire, promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
	You asked the Secretary of State how much attendance allowance has been withheld from pensioners in self-funded care homes in Scotland since the introduction of free personal care in Scotland. You also asked how many people in Scotland have been paid attendance allowance for which they are ineligible as a result of being in receipt of free personal care and whether the Department intends to seek repayment of any such amounts.
	We do not routinely collect statistics that would answer your first question and there would be a disproportionate cost in obtaining the information.
	From a recent sampling exercise it would appear that around 200 customers aged 65 or over receiving attendance allowance or disability living allowance care component have been overpaid. This is because they did not report that they are in receipt of free personal care and are residing in a care home in Scotland. We are currently making enquiries of those customers to establish whether an overpayment has arisen.
	There may have been other cases in the past where an overpayment arose following a delayed notification that they were in receipt of free personal care. We do not routinely record this information. I am therefore unable to assess how many other cases may have arisen. These will have been dealt with as the information came to our attention.
	Where an overpayment has arisen we will look at each case to consider whether recovery of the overpayment is required. In order to ensure that all customers are treated consistently each case will be considered in accordance with the Department's normal business rules. In doing so, great care will be exercised given the likely age and frailty of the customers involved.
	I am sorry I cannot be more helpful

Attendance Allowance

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions for what reasons those over the age of 65 require six months of night-time care before they qualify for the higher rate of attendance allowance.

Anne McGuire: Attendance allowance provides a contribution towards the extra costs faced by severely disabled people aged 65 or over as a result of long-term disability. The purpose of the six-month qualifying period is to establish that disability and the care needs arising from it are long-term, rather than the result of short-term or transient illness. However, the decision maker will always look at for how long care has been required when the disabled person claims the allowance or reports an increase in their care needs, and will consider whether some or all of the qualifying period had already been completed.

Benefit Cut-off

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much people with disabilities are allowed to earn before their benefits are affected; and if he will make a statement.

Anne McGuire: Benefits paid specifically for disability, disability living allowance and attendance allowance are, however, not subject to earnings restrictions.
	Disabled people may be entitled to the full range of social security benefits, depending on their individual circumstances. Where they are entitled, they will be subject to the earnings restrictions that apply to those benefits in the same way as all other claimants.
	Income related benefits, such as income support, housing benefit and council tax benefit all have a variety of disregards, dependant upon the claimant's circumstances, above which certain earnings are taken into account. The number of hours a person can work whilst claiming these benefits is also restricted. There is a higher disregard for those receiving a disability premium.

Carers Allowance

Jimmy Hood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people are in receipt of carers allowance in (a) the UK, (b) Scotland and (c) the Lanark and Hamilton East constituency; and if he will make a statement.

Anne McGuire: The latest available information is that at 28 February 2005, some 436,820 people in Great Britain were receiving carer's allowance, of whom 42,330 were in Scotland. Details of the numbers of carer's allowance recipients in each parliamentary constituency in Scotland at that date are in the table. Information about the number of people receiving carer's allowance in Northern Ireland is a matter for the Northern Ireland Office.
	
		Carer's allowance: number of recipients in each parliamentary constituency in Scotland as at 28 February 2005
		
			 Constituency Numbers 
		
		
			 Aberdeen Central 225 
			 Aberdeen North 460 
			 Aberdeen South 310 
			 Airdrie and Shotts 835 
			 Angus 590 
			 Argyll and Bute 435 
			 Ayr 615 
			 Banff and Buchan 665 
			 Caithness Sutherland and Easter Ross 540 
			 Carrick Cumnock and Doon Valley 1,010 
			 Central Fife 870 
			 Clydebank and Milngavie 635 
			 Clydesdale 840 
			 Coatbridge and Chryston 670 
			 Cumbernauld and Kilsyth 495 
			 Cunninghame North 630 
			 Cunninghame South 755 
			 Dumbarton 655 
			 Dumfries 645 
			 Dundee East 700 
			 Dundee West 620 
			 Dunfermline East 640 
			 Dunfermline West 450 
			 East Kilbride 560 
			 East Lothian 575 
			 Eastwood 500 
			 Edinburgh Central 320 
			 Edinburgh East and Musselburgh 630 
			 Edinburgh North and Leith 450 
			 Edinburgh Pentlands 485 
			 Edinburgh South 445 
			 Edinburgh West 455 
			 Falkirk East 650 
			 Falkirk West 630 
			 Galloway and Upper Nithsdale 765 
			 Glasgow Anniesland 870 
			 Glasgow Baillieston 1,010 
			 Glasgow Cathcart 620 
			 Glasgow Govan 570 
			 Glasgow Kelvin 350 
			 Glasgow Maryhill 760 
			 Glasgow Pollok 805 
			 Glasgow Rutherglen 695 
			 Glasgow Shettleston 880 
			 Glasgow Springburn 870 
			 Gordon 410 
			 Greenock and Inverclyde 550 
			 Hamilton North and Bellshill 665 
			 Hamilton South 720 
			 Inverness East Nairn and Lochaber 615 
			 Kilmarnock and Loudoun 775 
			 Kirkcaldy 585 
			 Linlithgow 645 
			 Livingston 755 
			 Midlothian 555 
			 Moray 590 
			 Motherwell and Wishaw 690 
			 North East Fife 370 
			 North Tayside 495 
			 Ochil 700 
			 Orkney and Shetland 200 
			 Paisley North 530 
			 Paisley South 515 
			 Perth 550 
			 Ross Skye and Inverness West 560 
			 Roxburgh and Berwickshire 395 
			 Stirling 490 
			 Strathkelvin and Bearsden 425 
			 Tweeddale Ettrick and Lauderdale 335 
			 West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine 330 
			 West Renfrewshire 475 
			 Western Isles 215 
		
	
	Notes:
	1.Figures are rounded to the nearest 5.
	2.From November 2002, the methodology for producing these figures was changed to allow statistics to be published much sooner. This has resulted in a small increase in the reported caseload. This is because some cases which have actually terminated but have not yet been updated on the computer system are now included.
	Source:
	Information Directorate, 100 per cent. data.

Carer's Allowance

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what research his Department has undertaken to assess the reasons for the difference between the number of people claiming carer's allowance and the number of people who are entitled to claim.

Anne McGuire: No research into this area has been possible because entitlement to carer's allowance depends upon a number of factors, one of which is that the disabled person being cared for must be in receipt of attendance allowance or the equivalent rates of the disability living allowance care component. Entitlement to those benefits can only be reliably established after a claim has been made and the care and mobility needs of the disabled person fully assessed. As there is no means of reliably calculating the number of people receiving them as a proportion of the overall eligible population, it is not possible to make a realistic estimate of the number of people who, if they claimed, might be entitled to carer's allowance.

Carer's Allowance

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people his Department estimate have an underlying entitlement to carer's allowance but are ineligible due to (a) overlapping benefit rules and (b) earnings above the limit.

Anne McGuire: As at 28 February 2005, some 265,000 people who were entitled to carer's allowance were not receiving it because of the operation of the overlapping benefit rules. Carers who earn over the earnings limit are not entitled to the allowance, and thus do not retain underlying entitlement.
	Source:
	DWP Information Directorate 5 per cent. sample

Child Maintenance

Jimmy Hood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the financial effects on the first family when the non-resident parent has a child born to his new partner under child maintenance arrangements; what effects this has on child maintenance payments; and if he will make a statement.

James Plaskitt: The Department has not commissioned any research that specifically investigates the financial impact suffered by the first family when a non-resident parent has a child born to his new partner and any subsequent impacts upon child maintenance.
	Research has been commissioned to examine factors affecting non-resident parent compliance with maintenance assessments, National Survey of Child Support Agency Clients, Nick Wikeley, CDS 2001, a copy of which is in the Library. This found that the partnering status of a non-resident parent is a factor. Non-resident parents who have re-partnered or remarried tend to be less likely to comply with maintenance assessments.

Child Support Agency

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his estimate is of the outstanding stock of Child Support Agency unpaid debts for each reporting period from 200203 to 200506; and if he will make a statement.

James Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive, Mr. Stephen Geraghty. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	Letter from Mike Isaac to Mr. David Laws, dated 21 July 2005
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive. As he is currently on leave I am responding on his behalf.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what his estimate is of the outstanding stock of Child Support Agency unpaid debts for each reporting period from 200203 to 2005 and if he will make a statement.
	The Agency refers to debt as the amounts outstanding on full maintenance assessments and excludes amounts deemed as probably uncollectable. These amounts outstanding are reported in the notes to the Agency's Annual Report and Accounts and are subject to external audit by the National Audit Office. The accounts for 2004/05 will be available from the end of July 2005 and the requested information for previous years is shown in the table below.
	
		
			   million 
		
		
			 200203 664.0 
			 200304 720.2 
			 200405 (7) 
		
	
	(7)Available by end of July
	In order to reduce the amount of debt the Agency is tapping into what works well in public and private sectors to improve its working practices. The Agency is increasing resources on enforcement activity and there is an increasing trend in the application of sanctions.
	In response to the Work and Pensions Select Committee recommendation the Agency is developing a strategy for reducing the debt. This debt strategy will form one part of the new Chief Executive's future performance improvement plans.
	I hope you find this answer useful.

Child Support Agency

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on progress in resolving the computer problems at the Child Support Agency; and if he will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mr. Stephen Geraghty. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	Letter from Mike Isaac to Mr. David Laws, dated 21 July 2005
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make a statement on progress in resolving the computer problems at the Child Support Agency.
	The Agency has acknowledged that there are problems with the IT system. Work to stabilise the system is on-going and this has already brought about improvements. The Agency is continuing to work with the computer supplier (EDS) to remedy the problems and IT releases were successfully implemented in December 2004 and May 2005 to resolve various system performance issues and build upon the improvements already made.

Child Support Agency

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his latest estimate is of the backlog of uncleared Child Support Agency cases for (a) each quarter from March 2003 to June 2005 and (b) each month from April 2004 to June 2005; and if he will make a statement.

James Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive, Mr.Stephen Geraghty. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	Letter from Mike Isaac to Mr. David Laws, dated 21 July 2005
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive. As he is currently on leave I am responding on his behalf.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what his latest estimate is of the backlog of uncleared Child Support Agency cases for (a) each quarter from March 2003 to June 2005 and (b) each month from April 2004 to June 2005; and if he will make a statement.
	In its response to the Work and Pensions Select Committee on the performance of the Child Support Agency, the Government agreed that the management information for the new scheme was not as robust or as comprehensive as it needed to be. It went on to state that the Agency was confident that by 1 November 2005 the management information would be improved and on a par with old scheme information.
	Progress is being made to achieve improvements in the quality of new scheme information and, from January 2005, more robust management information is available in respect of the Agency's intake, clearances and work-on-hand position as recorded on the IT system. Consequently, I am currently only able to provide reliable new scheme information from this point forward.
	
		New scheme application work on hand
		
			 Month (2005) New scheme 
		
		
			 January 259,000 
			 February 265,000 
			 March 266,000 
			 April 267,000 
			 May 265,000 
			 June 263,000 
		
	
	Notes:
	1.An application is counted as cleared when a maintenance calculation has been carried out and a charging schedule set up, or it has been closed, or it has been established that it is not a valid application (because it is subject to a reduced benefit decision, is good cause, or is in actual fact a change of circumstance on an existing case).
	2.Work in hand in this context is the totality of all cases yet to be cleared, as defined above.
	3.Figures rounded to nearest 1,000.
	I am sorry that we are not able to be more helpful at present.

Child Support Agency

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many cases have been stuck in the new Child Support Agency computer system each month since it was introduced; what the average time taken until first payment for stuck cases is in each month; and in what proportion of stuck cases (a) assessments and (b) first payments have been made.

James Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mr. Stephen Geraghty. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	Letter from Mike Isaac to Mr. David Laws, dated 21 July 2005
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive. As he is currently on leave I am responding on his behalf.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many cases have been stuck in the new Child Support Agency computer system each month since it was introduced; what the average time taken until first payment for stuck cases is in each month; and in what proportion of stuck cases (a) assessments and (b) first payments have been made.
	I am unable to provide a complete response to your question, as we do not collect information at the level of detail required to be able to provide robust and accurate figures under each of the specific headings requested. I can tell you that the number of cases we have currently identified which require technical intervention by EDS for them to be progressed is approximately 20,000. As of June 2005 the number of additional cases that now require such intervention each month is approximately 1,200. In the past 68 months approximately 32,000 cases have had the required technical intervention work carried out by EDS and have now been made available again to be progressed by Child Support Agency staff.
	The Agency has set up the Live Recovery Reprofiling project to investigate the underlying system faults that give rise to un-progressible cases. This project is currently drawing up the required plans and timetables to allow this work to be scheduled and managed in a controlled and efficient manner.
	I hope you find this response helpful.

Child Support Agency

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will introduce a free phone inquiry telephone number for the Child Support Agency.

James Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a mater for the chief executive, Mr. Stephen Geraghty. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	Letter from Mike Isaac to Tim Farron, dated 21 July 2005
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive. As he is currently on leave I am responding on his behalf.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will introduce a free phone enquiry telephone number for the Child Support Agency.
	I thought it might be helpful if I explained a little about our telephone policy. We now place greater emphasis on collecting information and discussing and resolving issues through telephone contact with our customers. Advanced telephony arrangements introduced with the Child Support Reforms can route enquiries directly to specific front-line staff responsible for an individual case, who are able to access case details at the time of the call.
	Our main telephone contact points can be reached by means of local-call rate numbers, which provide for equality of access to our services regardless of where someone might live. In addition all staff are advised that customers should be called back if they request it or if the member of staff thinks that the call may turn out to be lengthy.
	We have no current plans to introduce a freephone number for the Child Support Agency.
	I hope you find this helpful.

Child Support Agency

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many requests to increase staffing levels have been made to each Child Support Agency business unit director, broken down by area; how many requests were accepted; and for how many staff in each case.

James Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive, Mr. Stephen Geraghty. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	Letter from Mike Isaac to Mr. David Laws, dated 21 July 2005
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many requests to increase staffing levels have been made to each Child Support Agency business unit director broken down by area; how many requests were accepted; and for how many staff in each case.
	I am afraid that the specific information you have asked for is not available. However, I thought it might be helpful if I explain that the Child Support Agency plan staffing on an annual basis, setting out workforce plans by business unit/territory. These workforce plans are underpinned by recruitment plans based on anticipated wastage of staff calculated by looking at historical leaver data. The plans are monitored monthly and reviewed on a quarterly basis to take account of any business changes.
	As a result of the Departmental Spending Review 2004 the Agency headcount target for March 2006 was increased by 1,561 from 8,000 to 9,561 (Dataview counting methodology).
	From April 2005 the Agency began counting staffing in line with the agreed Cabinet Office Mandate counting methodology. This excludes staff on maternity pay from the staff in post count and accounts for an approximate 1 per cent. reduction in staffing totals. As a result the March 2006 headcount target was adjusted accordingly to 9388.
	From the beginning of the 2005/6 operational year the Child Support Agency moved from a business unit structure to a new territorial structure. The table below outlines the target staffing distribution to reflect the increase of staffing and the new territorial structure.
	
		
			 Territorial structure Authorised headcount March 2006 
		
		
			 Northern Territory 3,145 
			 Southern Territory 3,915 
			 National Helpline 493 
			 Enforcement 610 
			 HQ and Support Services 1,211 
			 Agency contribution to Independent Case  Examiner's staffing 14 
			 Total 9,388 
		
	
	I am sorry we could not be more helpful but I hope that you have found this answer useful.

Child Support Agency

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on how many occasions access to the Child Support Agency's computer system by former members of staff has been identified.

James Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	Letter from Stephen Geraghty to Mr. Laws, dated 21 July 2005
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question on how many occasions access to the Child Support Agency's computer system by former members of staff has been identified.
	The Child Support Agency and the Department as a whole has strict rules on who can access records that are held on its computer systems. Staff are only able to access systems that are necessary for them to carry out their duties.
	I am pleased to tell you that there has been no cases recorded where former members of staff have accessed the Child Support Agency computer systems.
	I hope that you find this answer useful.

Child Support Agency

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what records he keeps of call backs (a) promised and (b) made by Child Support Agency staff.

James Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mr.Stephen Geraghty. He will write to the hon. Member.
	Letter from Mike Isaac to Mr. Laws, dated 21 July 2005
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive. As he is currently on leave I am replying on his behalf.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what records he keeps of callbacks (a) promised and (b) made by Child Support Agency staff.
	The Agency keeps clerical monthly statistics on callbacks generated. We are in the process of automating the process to improve the quality and accuracy of these records.
	However I can tell you that all our staff receive customer service training and are instructed to call customers back when asked to do so or when they perceive that a call may be lengthy.
	I am sorry that I could not be more helpful at this time.

Child Support Agency

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what systems have been established to monitor the quality of Child Support Agency staff responses to telephone calls.

James Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mr. Stephen Geraghty. He will write to the hon. Member.
	Letter from Mike Isaac to Mr. Laws, dated 21 July 2005
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive. As he is currently on leave I am responding on his behalf.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what systems have been established to monitor the quality of Child Support Agency staff responses to telephone calls.
	The Agency has in place a number of measures to monitor the quality of calls. National Helpline team leaders can either listen in to live calls from a remote location or to tape recordings of closed calls. They score calls for quality and identify any training needs, which are then addressed. The tapes are also used in regular coaching sessions with staff.
	The National Helpline conducts a Department for Work and Pensions approved quarterly customer survey. The resultant feedback from our customers is used to develop improvement plans. Regular surveys are also carried out to monitor the accuracy of the technical information given to customers.
	I hope you find this answer useful.

Child Support Agency

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) serious complaints and (b) complaints about Child Support Agency (CSA) payments have been received by CSA staff in each of the last five years; and how serious complaints are (i)identified and (ii) defined.

James Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive, Mr. Stephen Geraghty. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	Letter from Mike Isaac to Mr. David Laws dated 21 July 2005
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive. As he is currently on leave I am responding on his behalf.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many (a) serious complaints and (b) complaints about Child Support Agency payments have been received by Child Support Agency staff; and how serious complaints are identified and defined.
	I have provided the number of complaints received in the Agency in the table below covering a 14 month period to May 2005. I cannot supply the number of complaints about payments as the information is not sufficiently categorised to provide that level of detail.
	We consider that any complaint we receive to be a serious complaint, and we do not have a separate definition of serious. We operate a three-tier complaints process. A Stage 1 complaint is the first we receive from a client either in writing or over the telephone and is dealt with by a Complaints Resolution Team located within each of our Business Units. A Stage 2 complaint is one where the client complains to the Business Unit's Area Director following a response at Stage 1. Most complaints are settled at Stage 1 or 2 but if a client is unhappy with the Area Director's response they can write directly to the Chief Executive. This constitutes a Stage 3 complaint.
	At each level of the complaints process clients are advised as to how they can escalate their complaint should they remain dissatisfied with the reply they receive.
	Once the three-tiered process has been completed the client can contact the Independent Case Examiner [if they remain dissatisfied]. The Independent Case Examiner is external to the Agency and acts as an impartial adjudicator in respect of the complaints which are appropriate for her involvement.
	In addition to this process, a client can complain directly to their Member of Parliament who can refer the complaint on their behalf to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration.
	
		Total complaints received March 2005 Year to Date (YTD),and May 2005 (YTD)
		
			 Child Support Agency complaints April 2004-March 2005 April 2005-May 2005 
		
		
			 Total agency cases (8)1,375,000 (9)1,463,000 
			 Stage 1 39,783 6,534 
			 Stage 2 5,580 1,053 
			 Stage 3 2,549 349 
			 Member of Parliament to chief executive 5,787 893 
			 Member of Parliament to business unit 8,871 1,512 
			 Treat official 1,108 210 
			 Total complaints 63,678 10,551 
			 Complaints received by independent case examiner 2,367 n/a 
			 Complaints accepted by independent case examiner 1,259 n/a 
		
	
	n/a=not available
	(8)As at 31 March 2005.
	(9)As at 31 May 2005.
	Notes:
	1.Member of Parliament to chief executive, Member of Parliament to business unit and treat official complaints are outside the 3-tier client complaints process.
	2.Treat official complaints are those received by a Minister's private office but referred for initial consideration by an official of the agency.
	3.Complaints received by the independent case examiner: These include complaints where the agency had not issued a response by or on behalf of the chief executive so the independent case examiner could not accept the complaint. The figure also includes complaints on legislation etc where the independent case examiner cannot accept the complaint.
	4.Complaints accepted by the independent case examiner: These are the complaints where the complainant has received a response by or on behalf of the chief executive.
	I am sorry if this answer is not all that you may have wished for but I hope it has proved useful to you.

Child Support Agency

Janet Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many recipients of child support are in receipt of manual payments as a result of computer failure at the Child Support Agency; and in how many cases there is a consequent shortfall in the amount of child support they receive.

James Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mr. Stephen Geraghty. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	Letter from Mike Isaac to Janet Anderson, dated 21 July 2005
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive. As he is currently on leave I am responding on his behalf.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many recipients of child support are in receipt of manual payments as a result of computer failure at the Child Support Agency; and in how many cases there is a consequent shortfall in the amount of child support they receive.
	We have around 980 customers who are regularly paid their maintenance manually. I am unable to give a breakdown between computer failure and other reasons for payments having to be made manually.
	When a manual payment is made, any monies received from the non-resident parent and owed to the parent with care are paid in full.
	I hope you find this answer helpful.

Child Support Agency

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will expedite the transfer of the case of Mr. Ronald Ceasar (ref: PCU/145410/KH/MC) to the new system of Child Support Agency payments.

James Plaskitt: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave the hon. Member for Bolton, South-East (Dr. Iddon), on 20 June 2005, Official Report, column 705W.

Child Support Agency

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average cost per case is of a Child Support Agency case processed under the (a) new scheme on the new computer system, (b) new scheme on the old computer system, (c) new scheme with a clerical assessment, (d) old scheme on the old computer system and (e) old scheme on the new computer system.

James Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	Letter from Mike Isaac to Mr. David Laws, dated 21 July 2005
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive. As he is currently on leave I am responding on his behalf.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average cost per case is of a Child Support Agency case processed under the (a) new scheme on the new computer system, (b) new scheme on the old computer system, (c) new scheme with a clerical assessment, (d) old scheme on the old computer system and (e) old scheme on the new computer system.
	Information is not currently available in the format requested. We expect information on administration costs for the Child Support Agency to be available after the Departments new Resource Management System is introduced in the Child Support Agency in 2006. In the meantime, the Agency does publish interim unit cost information in accordance with Public Service Agreement (PSA 9) which is contained in the Annual Report and Accounts.

Correspondence

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when the chief executive of the Child Support Agency will reply to the letter of the right hon. Member for Birkenhead of 23 June, regarding his constituent Ms Jones.

James Plaskitt: holding answer 11 July 2005
	The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive, Mr Stephen Geraghty. He will write to the hon. Member.
	Letter from Stephen Geraghty to Mr. Frank Field dated 21 July 2005
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when the Chief Executive of the Child Support Agency will reply to the letter of the honourable Member for Birkenhead of 23 June regarding his constituent Ms Jones.
	As details about individual cases are confidential I have written to you separately about this case.

Correspondence

Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will direct the disability and carers service to provide a substantive response to the letters of the hon. Member for Manchester Central dated 3 June and 6 July regarding AL (ref: NE215064B).

Anne McGuire: The administration of disability living allowance is a matter for the chief executive of the disability and carers service, Mr. Terry Moran. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	Letter from Terry Moran to Mr. Tony Lloyd, dated 21 July 2005
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will direct the Disability and Carers Service to provide a substantive response to the letters of the honourable Member for Manchester Central dated 3rd June and 6th July regarding AL (ref: NE215064B),The Minister for Disabled People, Anne McGuire MP, promised you a substantive reply from the Chief Executive of the Disability and Carers Service.
	A substantive reply to your letter of 3 June was sent to you on 8 June. A duplicate copy of the letter was sent to you on 12 July in response to your further letter of 6 July.
	I trust the copy was safely received.

CSA

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many houses are subject to a Child Support Agency Inhibition Order; and of these how many are (a) fully and (b) partially owned by a person other than the non-resident parent from whom maintenance arrears are being sought.

James Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive.
	He will write to the hon. Member.
	Letter from Mike Isaac to Mr. Danny Alexander dated 21 July 2005
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive. As he is currently on leave I am responding on his behalf.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many houses are subject to a Child Support Agency Inhibition Order; and of these how many are (a) fully and (b) partially owned by a person other than the non-resident parent from whom maintenance arrears are being sought.
	As the Bill of Inhibition is registered against an individual, we are unable to provide any figures as to whether the individual's property is owned partially, or wholly, by another party. However, it follows that a Bill of Inhibition registered against a non-resident parent whose home is wholly owned by another party would be ineffective.
	In the 2004/2005 financial year, the Agency applied for 203 Bills of Inhibition against non-compliant non-resident parents.
	I hope that this reply is helpful.

Departmental Expenditure

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the budget of his Department was for press and communications for (a) 199798, (b) 200304 and (c) 200405; what it is for 200506; and if he will make a statement.

Anne McGuire: The Department for Work and Pensions was formed in June 2001 from the former Department of Social Security and parts of the former Department for Education and Employment including the Employment Service. Information on costs prior to 2001 is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	The main Communications budget allocation for 200304 was 67,748,000 of which 2,545,258 was for Press. The corresponding figures for 200405 were 51,708,618, of which 2,756,088 was for Press. These figures include both staff and non-staff costs, including all major marketing campaigns.
	The budget allocation for 200506 has not yet been finalised.

Departmental Relocation

Roger Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many of his Department's posts (a) have been relocated and (b) are under consideration for relocation from London to the deprived areas of the south-east.

Anne McGuire: The Department and its sponsored organisations are implementing the Lyons Review recommendations to relocate 4,187 posts out of London and the south-east by 2010. This will not exclude consideration of relocating some posts to relatively deprived areas in the south-east. So far, the department has not identified any posts suitable for transfer to deprived areas in the south-east.

Departmental Spending

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the level of total departmental spending was in each year from 198081 to 200405; and what the projected figures are for each year to 200910 in (a) 200304 prices and (b) cash terms.

Anne McGuire: The Department for Work and Pensions was formed in June 2001 from the Department of Social Security and parts of the former Department for Education and Employment including the Employment Service and has since undergone significant reorganisation.
	The Departmental Report for 2004 (Cm 6221), which is available in the Library, contains spending figures for the years 199899 to 200506 these being the only years covered within the financial tables. Data for the years prior to 199899 does not exist in the format requested.
	The Departmental Report for 2005 (Cm 6539) to be published in June 2005 will contain spending figures for the years 19992000 to 200708. The Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses (Cm 6521) also contains spending data for the same years in real and near-cash terms in Chapter 1.
	The Department's spending levels beyond 200708 will be subject to the 2006 Spending Review that has not yet commenced.

Departmental Staff

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the (a) pay scale, (b) turnover in the last period for which figures are available and (c) required level of training is for (i) disability employment advisers, (ii) jobcentre plus personal advisers and (iii) Pathways to Work advisers.

James Plaskitt: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. She will write to the hon. Member.
	Letter from Leslie Strathie to Mr. David Laws, dated 21 July 2005
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question concerning what the (a) pay scale, (b) turnover in the last period for which figures are available and (c) required level of training is for (i) disability employment advisers, (ii) jobcentre plus personal advisers and (iii) Pathways to Work advisers. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	It is the policy within Jobcentre Plus (as with other parts of the Department for Work and Pensions) to collect staffing information by grade and location, not by job role. It is not, therefore, possible to provide pay or turnover information by job role. However, as all job roles upon which information is being sought are within the same civil service gradeExecutive Officerit is possible to provide you with information relating more generally to our staff in this grade.
	At 1 July 2005, the national pay scale for executive officers was 17,290to 22,820 (with those working in London on a slightly higher scale). A small number of senior advisers receive an additional responsibilities allowance of 1,000 per annum.
	The national turnover rate amongst executive officers for the period June 2004 to May 2005 was 3.84 per cent.
	I am able to be more specific with the information requested on training. All advisers are required to complete the basic training package; in total up to approximately 34 days learning. In addition, disability employment advisers receive a further eight days training to equip them with the specialist advisory skills required to support the most disadvantaged disabled customers in securing work, and to work with others to encourage and support good practices in the recruitment, retention and development of disabled customers. For Pathways to Work Advisers there is an additional 18 days training.
	I hope this is helpful.

Disability Allowance

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will take steps to increase the amount of money that people with disabilities are allowed to earn before their benefits are affected; and if he will make a statement.

Anne McGuire: Benefits paid specifically for disability, disability living allowance and attendance allowance are not subject to earnings restrictions but are assessed on need for additional help with care and mobility.
	Income related benefits, such as income support, housing benefit and council tax benefit all have a variety of disregards, dependant upon the claimant's circumstances, above which certain earnings are taken into account. There is a higher disregard for those receiving a disability premium. The number of hours a person can work while claiming these benefits is restricted.
	People with disabilities may be entitled to the full range of social security benefits, depending on their individual circumstances; where they are, they will be subject to the earnings restrictions that apply to those benefits in the same way as all other claimants.
	We have no plans to change these rules.

Disability and Careers Service

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list the courses the Disability and Careers Service offers to employees based on (a) gender, (b) ethnic origin, (c) sexuality and (d) any combination of the above; how much each course costs to run; and if he will make a statement.

Anne McGuire: The administration of the Disability and Carers Service is a matter for the chief executive, Mr. Terry Moran. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	Letter from Terry Moran to Philip Davies, dated 21 July 2005
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will list the courses the Disability and Carers Service offers to employees based on (a) gender, (b) ethnic origin, (c) sexuality and (d) any combination of the above; how much each course costs to run. The Minister for Disabled People, Anne McGuire MP, promised you a substantive reply from the Chief Executive of the Disability and Carers Service.
	The information I have available regarding courses for Disability and Carers Service employees, and the cost in the last financial year, where known, is shown in the attached annexe.
	I am unable to provide any details regarding attendees' gender, ethnicity, and sexuality, as this information is not routinely collected, but all of our courses are available to all of our staff.
	I am sorry I cannot be more helpful.
	
		
			 Training event Approximate costs in the year April 2004 to March 2005 () 
		
		
			 Half Hour Closures 521,541 
			 AA New Claims 23,094 
			 Appeals inc. Modernisation 41,837 
			 Assertiveness and related courses 65,570 
			 Assessing and Developing Leadership Skills and related courses 2,201 
			 Assessment Centre Skills Workshop 468 
			 Auditing Staff Club Accounts 0 
			 Better Letters 0 
			 BSI Training 0 
			 Care First for ATOS Referrals 0 
			 Career ReviewRecognising and Recording Achievement 2,384 
			 Complaints Investigator's Training 0 
			 Contributing to Teams 0 
			 Counselling Introduction 4,447 
			 Creative Problem Solving 2,000 
			 Creativity and Imaginative Solutions 0 
			 CSO PC support 520 
			 Customer Service Workshop 34,085 
			 Dealing with Abusive Customers 10,089 
			 Dealing With Vulnerable GroupsDeaf Awareness, Life Events, Visual Impairment 7,793 
			 Decision Maker Training 869,845 
			 Desk Training 968,132 
			 Developmental: Further Education 11,500 
			 Developmental: Job Shadow 30,518 
			 Developmental: NVQ/SVQ 19,501 
			 Developmental: Observing at Meetings 2,422 
			 Developmental: Presentations 8,609 
			 Developmental: Prince's Trust 4,377 
			 Developmental: Working Parties 13,549 
			 Disability Awareness Workshops 7,173 
			 Diversity Awareness video 4,650 
			 Diversity: Managing Diverse Teams 6,693 
			 Drafting and Briefing Skills 7,939 
			 Driver Training 465 
			 Effective Management 741 
			 Effective Writing 3,674 
			 EFQM Excellence Model Assessor Training 0 
			 DOI CSO Training 108 
			 DOI Training/Awareness 550 
			 Equal Opportunities at Work 2,084 
			 Equal Opportunities: A Manager's Role 0 
			 Equal Ops Refresher 1,862 
			 External Recruitment Skills Workshop 1,374 
			 Facilitating Groups 3,276 
			 FAMIS Courses 0 
			 Finance HEO/EO Workshop 0 
			 First Aid 4,431 
			 Generic People Skills Workshop 32,630 
			 Handling and Resolving Conflict 11,952 
			 Harassment Officer's Training 3,075 
			 Health and Safety 37,857 
			 Health and SafetyRisk Assessment (inc. DOI) 12,432 
			 Health and SafetyThe Managers Role 7,169 
			 Helpline Training 765,032 
			 Human Rights Act Training 551 
			 IiP internal Assessor 4,692 
			 Induction 86,335 
			 Industrial Relations 0 
			 Internal Vacancy Filling and Promotion Skills Workshop 3,512 
			 Interviewing the Publicincluding PVP 2,268 
			 IT Training/Skills 198,608 
			 Junior and Middle Management Induction 12,760 
			 Leadership for Results 1,510 
			 Leading an Effective team 4,085 
			 Learning at Work 15,181 
			 Learning Resource Centre 5,125 
			 Making Effective Presentations 4,807 
			 Managers as Mentors 0 
			 Managing/Implementing Change 13,505 
			 Managing the Development of Your Staff 3,318 
			 Mentoring Events 819,606 
			 Meeting Skills 5,131 
			 Motivation 2,520 
			 MP's Enquiries 0 
			 Non-technical trainingmiscellaneous 81,564 
			 New Tax Credits 0 
			 Overview Training 10,487 
			 Participating in Meetings 0 
			 Payment Modernisation ProgrammeACT 0 
			 People Management Part 1 8,856 
			 People Management Part 2Dealing with Difficult People 3,344 
			 Performance Management Workshops 8,804 
			 Personal Account Security Enhanced for non interviewing staff 0 
			 Personal Appraisal for Job Holders 5,509 
			 Personal Development Planning 10,162 
			 Personal Effectiveness for Managers 2,800 
			 Planning and Managing Projects 0 
			 Preparing for Retirement and related courses 13,938 
			 Problem Solving and Decision Making 1,907 
			 Promotion Report Writing 0 
			 PV Procedures 6,951 
			 Running Staff Clubs 1,407 
			 Secure Print Operator 343 
			 Security Specialist Event 9,647 
			 Self Development for AAs 29,457 
			 Self Development for AOs 47,529 
			 Self Development for Middle Managers360 degree Feedback 203 
			 Serving the Needs of the Community 927 
			 Specialist Trace Officer 0 
			 Specialist TrainingDisability Awareness 161,654 
			 Specialist Training for Visiting Officers 0 
			 Speed Reading Courses 3,656 
			 Stress Management 5,858 
			 Stress Management for Managers 25,855 
			 Team Development 982 
			 Team Leadership for Call Centre Managers 0 
			 Team Leader Training 41,830 
			 Technical/Benefit Related Training: Appeals 27,194 
			 Technical/Benefit Related Training: MARS 103,803 
			 Technical/Benefit Related Training: Miscellaneous 746,666 
			 Technical Benefit Related Training: New Claims 301,740 
			 Telephone Techniques 20,998 
			 Time Management 4,099 
			 Training for Trainers Events 12,081 
			 Union Events 520 
			 Unit CostingAgency Costing System (ACOS) 1,184 
			 Voice Care 24,556 
			 Widening Horizons 2,210 
			 Working in Teams 0 
			 Pre retirement course (10)111 
			 E-learning/Open learningAttendance Management 4,637 
			 E-learning/Open LearningExternal Recruitment 0 
			 E-learning/Open LearningInternal Vacancy Filling and Promotion 1,599 
			 E-learning/Open LearningPerformance and Development 6,905 
			 E-learningActivity Based Information (ABI) for Managers 404 
			 E-learningDOI Awareness 317 
			 E-learningIntroduction to Windows 2000 482 
			 E-learningRisk Management 26 
			 E-learningJunior Management 450 
			 E-learningMiddle Management 0 
			 E-learningUsing Outlook 98 0 
			 E-learningBetter Letters 601 
			 E-learningHere and Now! 0 
			 E-learningGetting Started with the Intranet 419 
			 E-learningSecurity Awareness 1,356 
			 E-learningUsing Outlook 2000 to e-mail 719 
			 E-learningThe Diversity Toolkit 21,075 
			 E-learning 3,109 
			 Elearning 3,854 
		
	
	(10)Per attendee
	
		
			 DCS Disability Specialists Group(11) There are no costs available for these courses 
		
		
			 Understanding our customers  
			 Customer awareness for telephony staff  
			 Understanding learning disabilities  
			 Understanding mental health problems  
			 Understanding emotional and behavioural disorders in children  
			 Understanding colleagues with complex needs  
			 Visiting customers with disabilities  
			 Customer awareness, communication and personal presentation  
			 Understanding cognitive impairmentsthis course is currently under development  
		
	
	(11)Delivers customer focused impairment awareness training to DCS staff. This is modular training and is tailored to the needs of staff receiving it, and is therefore either in-depth or overarching in its content. DWP principles of Diversity and Equality underpin all of the training

Disability Living Allowance

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  if he will meet the Director of Life Ability Community to discuss the production of a visual impairment specific disability living allowance claim form;
	(2)  if his Department will produce a visual impairment-specific disability living allowance claim form; and if he will make a statement.

Anne McGuire: The administration of disability living allowance is a matter for the chief executive of the Disability and Carers Service, Mr. Terry Moran. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	Letter from Terry Moran to Mrs Anne Main dated 21 July 2005
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will meet the director of Life Ability Community to discuss the production of a visual impairment specific disability living allowance claim form and also If his department will produce a visual impairment specific disability living allowance claim form. The Minister for Disabled People, Anne McGuire MP, promised you a substantive reply from the Chief Executive of the Disability and Carers Service.
	The Disability and Carers Service is committed to listening to the views of their customers and representatives and would be pleased to include Life Ability Community in future consultation. In the first instance the Secretary of State has asked my Customer and External Relations Director, Kim Archer to arrange a meeting with Life Ability Community to discuss their needs. Ms Archer can be contacted on 020 7962 8297 or at Disability  Carers Service, Room 505, The Adelphi, 111 John Adam Street, London WC2N 6HT, she will be pleased to help in any way she can.
	A number of activities have already taken place with customer groups this year, through the DWP Disability Forum and other activities. We have also consulted extensively via the Modern Services Working Group of which the Royal National Institute for the Blind is represented. Modem Services Working Group were consulted during development of the proposed revised claim form and their comments have been incorporated.
	Entitlement to disability living allowance depends on the care and mobility needs arising from a person's illness or disability, not on the particular disability itself Therefore when designing claim forms we have to bear in mind that approx two thirds of our customers have more than one illness or disability present It would be impractical for both claimants and the business to design claim forms for individual impairments.
	The revised claim form will be easier for the claimant to complete. It will be in a more suitable format than the current generic claim form for claimants with any single disability, whether physical, mental or sensory, or combinations of any of these. Testing of this claim form begins in September 2005 in two pilot areas.
	Claim forms and leaflets can already be requested in large print or Braille.
	I hope this is helpful.

Disability Living Allowance

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people are receiving disability living allowance; and how many are in Pembrokeshire.

Anne McGuire: As at 28 February 2005, the latest date for which information is available, some 2,673,000 people in Great Britain were receiving disability living allowance, of whom 7,100 were in Pembrokeshire.
	Notes:
	1. Figures are rounded to the nearest hundred. They are based on a 5 per cent. sample and therefore subject to sampling variation.
	2. From November 2002, the methodology for producing these figures was changed to allow statistics to be published much sooner. This has resulted in a small increase in the reported caseload. This is because some cases which have actually terminated but have not yet been updated on the computer system are now included.
	Source:
	Information Directorate, 5 percent. data.

Disability Living Allowance

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 4 July 2005, Official Report, column 69W, on disability living allowance, whether actions taken by his Department or by the Disability and Carers Service have intentionally or unintentionally had the consequence of reducing the award rate.

Anne McGuire: The administration of disability living allowance is a matter for the chief executive of the Disability and Carers Service, Mr. Terry Moran. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	Letter from Terry Moran to Mr. Angus MacNeil, dated 21 July 2005
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the answer of 4 July 2005, Official Report, column 69W, on disability living allowance, whether actions taken by his Department or by the Disability and Carers Service have intentionally or unintentionally had the consequence of reducing the award rate. The Minister for Disabled People, Anne McGuire MP, promised you a substantive reply from the Chief Executive of the Disability and Carers Service.
	There have been no changes to the policy, or the entitlement rules laid down in law, which would intentionally or unintentionally reduce the award rate of disability living allowance. Our intention still remains to pay the right money to the right person at the right time.

Disability Rights Commission

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many charges of (a) racial discrimination, (b) sexual discrimination, (c) disability discrimination and (d) a combination of the above have been made by the staff of the Disability Rights Commission against the Commission in each of the past 10 years.

Anne McGuire: There have been three such claims made by DRC staff to Employment Tribunals since the Commission opened its doors for business in April 2000:
	Sex discrimination (2003)
	Disability discrimination (2004, withdrawn)
	Sex and disability discrimination (2005).
	None of these claims proceeded as far as a hearing before the tribunal.

Disabled People (Employer Insurance)

Martin Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  if he will assess the merits of providing financial assistance to companies that incur additional insurance costs because they employ disabled people;
	(2)  what recent estimate his Department has made of the numbers of disabled people (a) refused employment and (b) dismissed because employers claim that insurance costs are prohibitive;
	(3)  what assessment his Department has made of the accuracy of risk assessments undertaken by insurance companies that increase insurance premiums when disabled people are employed.

Anne McGuire: The Department for Work and Pensions does not intend to make an assessment of the merits of providing financial assistance to companies that incur additional insurance costs because they employ disabled people. The Government do not provide funding to employers to enable them to meet their obligations under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. In fulfilling their duty to make reasonable adjustments, employers are required only to make adjustments that are reasonable for them to make given all the circumstances of the case. Factors such as the cost of the adjustment and the employer's available resources are taken into account in determining what is reasonable.
	No data is held on people who have been refused employment or dismissed because employers claim that insurance costs are prohibitive. Therefore the Department for Work and Pensions has not made any estimates of the numbers of disabled people who have been affected in these circumstances. If insurance costs are prohibitive it may be unreasonable for an employer to pay the higher premium. Furthermore, an unacceptably high premium, or a refusal by an insurance company to provide cover for the disabled individual, may provide grounds for the employer to justify discriminatory action against the insurance company.
	The Department has made no estimate of the accuracy of risk assessments undertaken by insurance companies that increase premiums when disabled people are employed. The Government are not in a position to intervene in the decisions of insurance companies when determining whether or not to offer insurance. An Insurer's Guide to the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, published by the Association of British Insurers includes guidance to the insurance industry on the use of relevant information and data in underwriting and we would expect insurance companies to follow this guide. The guide has been endorsed by the Disability Rights Commission which has undertaken to monitor its effects to help the industry improve its performance. The Disability Rights Commission proposes to begin research this summer.

EDS

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what changes have been agreed in relation to the (a) accuracy and (b) quality of data and management information supplied by EDS in response to the internal audit recommendation of 200405; and what led to the recommendation.

James Plaskitt: The internal audit recommendation followed a review of the Performance Management, Management Information and Data Warehouse of the new Child Support System. This issue was also identified in the Work and Pensions Select Committee report on the Child Support System (Second report of the session 200405 HC 441. I refer the hon. Member to the Government's response to this report (HC477) and specifically the response to the first recommendation, which relates to management information.

Employers' Liability Insurance

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent representations he has received concerning employers' liability insurance.

Anne McGuire: We have received no recent representations concerning employers' liability insurance.

English Wine

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will ensure that English wine is made available at dinners, receptions and parties he hosts at which hospitality involving wine is appropriate (a) during the EU presidency and (b) generally; and if he will make a statement.

James Plaskitt: On all issues of hospitality the primary consideration is one of Value for Money. All departmental organisers of EU presidency events have been advised of Cabinet Office guidance which encourages the provision of British food and drink where possible.

Group 4

Doug Henderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much was spent by his Department and public bodies and agencies for which he is responsible on security contracts with Group 4 Securicor in 200405; and if he will list (a) the nature and location of services provided and (b) the start and end dates of such contracts.

Margaret Hodge: The Department and its public bodies or agencies have had no expenditure with Group 4 Securicor on security contracts in the past year.

Home Responsibilities Protection Scheme

Jimmy Hood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many carers in (a) Scotland and (b) the Lanark and Hamilton East constituency have participated in the Home Responsibilities Protection Scheme in each year from 2001; and if he will make a statement.

James Plaskitt: The information requested is not available at constituency level. Such information as is available is in the table.
	
		Carers in Scotland eligible for home responsibilities protection
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 200102 309,000 
			 200203(12) 500,000 
			 200304(12) 465,000 
		
	
	(12) The figures for 200203 and 2003004 are provisional.
	Source:
	1 per cent. sample of the Lifetime Labour Market Database of the National Insurance Records System
	These figures represent the number of people for whom HRP is available if they do not achieve a qualifying year for state pension purposes through national insurance contributions. They do not represent the numbers who need HRP in order to qualify for a full basic state pension.

Honours

Greg Pope: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many officials currently in the Department received honours in the recent Queen's Birthday Honours List; and at what rank of honour.

Anne McGuire: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster on 22 June 2005, Official Report, column 1059.

Housing Benefit

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many people have used the rapid claims procedure for housing benefit in each year since its introduction, broken down by region;
	(2)  what percentage of new housing benefit recipients in each year since 1997 had to (a) fill in more than one form and (b) attend more than one office in order successfully to complete their claim, broken down by region.

James Plaskitt: The information is not collected. Local authorities provide details of the number of new claims made to housing benefit and council tax benefit, but are not required to provide details of the type of claim forms received.

Housing Benefit

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many housing benefit claims were outstanding on average in each year since 1997, broken down by region.

James Plaskitt: The information is in the table.
	
		Average number of claims outstanding in each Government Office Region; 200001 to 200405
		
			 Government Office Region 200001 200102 200203 200304 200405 
		
		
			 East Midlands 52,414 31,346 34,377 50,943 18,764 
			 Eastern 66,383 47,811 31,817 52,888 42,869 
			 London 154,426 75,947 131,966 89,734 67,282 
			 North-east 38,189 35,045 27,555 58,937 10,771 
			 North-west 140,411 38,100 75,383 49,153 29,240 
			 Scotland 67,348 62,659 63,599 62,680 29,474 
			 South-east 117,054 63,838 39,174 88,327 27,539 
			 South-west 85,895 32,218 36,425 153,382 21,492 
			 Wales 102,592 27,980 39,297 51,279 24,776 
			 West Midlands 60,002 31,892 45,498 76,722 29,432 
			 Yorks and Humberside 122,778 73,130 71,210 292,469 28,311 
			 National total 1,007,492 519,966 596,299 1,026,513 329,948 
		
	
	Notes:
	1.Not all LAs have returned data in every quarter, so the reported figures are the weighted averages of those that have returned figures.
	2.Local authorities may not use the same method of counting.
	3.Data is not available prior to 2000.
	4.Prior to 200405 the count included both new and renewal claims, after this point existing claims were no longer renewed.
	Source:
	Local Authority (LA) quarterly statistical returns

Housing Benefit

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many landlords renting accommodation to housing benefit recipients were prosecuted for breaching environmental standards in each year since 1997, broken down by region.

James Plaskitt: The information is not available because it is not collected by centrally.

Housing Benefit

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the cost of administering housing benefit was in each year since 1997.

James Plaskitt: The cost of administering housing benefit cannot be separated from the cost of administering council tax benefit; joint claims are usually administered together.
	The available information is in the table.
	
		Costs to local authorities of administering housing benefit and council tax benefit for the years 199798 to 200304;Great Britain
		
			  Million 
		
		
			 199798 516 
			 199899 526 
			 19992000 597 
			 200001 613 
			 200102 654 
			 200203 693 
			 200304 765 
		
	
	Notes:
	1.These figures should not be regarded as the exact cost because it is not always possible for local authorities to accurately separate their HB/CTB administration costs from other expenditure.
	2.200304 is the latest year for which information is available.
	Source:
	Local authority reported expenditure.

Health and Safety Executive

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the Health and Safety Executive campaign Government Setting an Example.

Anne McGuire: The Government Setting an Example programme was designed to develop best practice on health, safety and sickness absence within Government Departments. The Health and Safety Executive has now brought this work together with its priority programme on the health services into a public services programme.
	This supports the work of the ministerial taskforce on health, safety and productivity by working with management and employee representatives to focus on the key causes of work related sickness absence across the public sector.

Incapacity Benefit

David Heathcoat-Amory: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what estimate the Government have made of the (a) prevalence and (b) value of incapacity benefit fraud among those benefit recipients who do not live in the UK;
	(2)  how the Government seek to prevent fraud by incapacity benefit recipients who do not live in the UK; and how much has been spent in each year since 1997 on the prevention of such fraud.

Anne McGuire: The 2001 National Benefit Review of IB Fraud indicated that fraud in IB is very low. There is no reason to believe it would be any higher in those claiming abroad who are subject to the same periodic medical examinations to confirm they remain entitled to benefit as are UK based claimants.
	No estimates have been made of the level of fraud amongst those claiming incapacity benefits from abroad and there are no additional measures in place to counter such fraud. Therefore information is not available as to how much has been spent on the prevention of such fraud.

Incapacity Benefit

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people living abroad are receiving incapacity benefit; and if he will make a statement.

Anne McGuire: holding answer 5 July 2005
	As at February 2005, there were 9,800 incapacity benefit and severe disability allowance claimants living overseas.
	Incapacity benefit is payable to recipients living in European Union (EU) and European Economic Area (EEA) countries and Switzerland under the European Community's social security regulations. It is also payable under bilateral social security agreements to recipients who live in the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands or in one of the countries in the list.
	Non-EU/EEA countries where incapacity benefit is payable under bi-lateral agreements:
	Bosnia-Herzegovina
	Barbados
	Croatia
	Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
	Israel
	Jamaica
	State Union of Serbia and Montenegro
	Turkey
	USA

Incapacity Benefit

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many incapacity benefits claimants there are in each local authority area; and what proportion of the working age population they represent.

Anne McGuire: The information has been placed in the Library.

Incapacity Benefit

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the projected numbers of people on incapacity benefit are for (a) 201011, (b) 202021, (c) 203031, (d) 204041 and (e) 205051, broken down by rate of benefit.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 5 July 2005
	Between 1979 and 1997 the number of people receiving incapacity benefit rose from 700,000 to 2.5 millionthe equivalent of an additional 2,000 inactive people every single week. However, between November 1997 and November 2004 inflows declined by around 30 per cent. This has resulted in the slowing down of the growth in the caseload since 1997. In fact in the year to February 2005 the caseload fell by 29,000a small but significant change, reflecting the success of our management of the economy and the success of our welfare to work policies.
	Projections of the number of claimants ignore the progress we have made since 1997. At least a million claimants (the Shaw Trust estimate 1.5 million) receiving incapacity benefit say they expect to work in the future, given the right support. We are already providing this support in the Pathways to Work pilots, which are doubling their recorded job entries, but we want to do even more and that's why we will be publishing a Green Paper in the autumn outlining our proposals. Our ambition is to move a million people off incapacity benefit and into work.
	The available information is in the following table.
	
		Projected incapacity benefit claimants in the UK for years shown, broken down by benefit rate.
		
			  201011 202021 203031 204041 205051 
		
		
			 Invalidity benefitbasic 230 74 11 (13) 0 
			 Incapacity benefitshort-term lower rate 100 113 108 107 108 
			 Incapacity benefitshort-term higher rate 99 118 117 115 119 
			 Incapacity benefitlong-term 1,263 1,783 1,892 1,864 1,951 
			 Incapacity benefitearnings-related 194 65 9 0 0 
		
	
	(13)Indicates figures below 500.
	Notes:
	1.Figures are rounded to the nearest thousand and shown in thousands.
	2.These projections do not take account of any future changes to the welfare system.
	Source:
	DWP projections based on figures underlying HM Treasury's Annex A in the Budget Report.

Incapacity Benefit

Jimmy Hood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether there is an established mechanism by which the view of disabled people on the proposed incapacity benefit reforms are taken in to account; whether a report has been commissioned to consider the views of the disabled people in reform of the incapacity benefit system; and if he will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: The views of disabled people are central to the development of our proposals for the reform of incapacity benefit and the consultation process follows the guidance set out in the code of practice on consultation published by the Cabinet Office in January 2004.
	Consultation on this issue has been ongoing since the publication of our Green Paper on Pathways to Work in November 2002. Since the publication of the five year strategy and as we continue to develop our proposals the Department is engaged in a range of meetings and events with stakeholders to ensure that we capture as much input as possible.
	Once our forthcoming Green Paper is published in the autumn we will undertake a formal consultation period of 12 weeks in line with the code of practice on consultation. The Green Paper will be available in a range of formats and will be publicised through a number of events for stakeholders and through a range of activities on the internet, including stakeholder websites.

Incapacity Benefit

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what plans he has to (a) pilot and (b) evaluate the effects of benefit sanctions within incapacity benefit; and what research he has commissioned into the effect on incapacity benefit recipients of being sanctioned for failure to attend a work-focused interview;
	(2)  pursuant to his answer of 22 June 2005, Official Report, column 1076W, on Pathways to Work, what the diagnoses were of those sanctioned; and what proportion were receiving incapacity benefit for mental health conditions.

Anne McGuire: People claiming incapacity benefit in Pathways to Work areas may be sanctioned for failing to attend or take part in a work focused interview (WFI) with a Jobcentre Plus personal adviser. Specific information on the diagnosis of those sanctioned is not available.
	There have been an insufficient number of sanctions to warrant a specific study of their effects. However, the Department is regularly monitoring the numbers and is currently reviewing priorities for future evaluation. As part of the evaluation of the Pathways pilots the Department has commissioned studies to examine the experiences of incapacity benefit customers and personal advisers, including sanctions imposed.

Incapacity Benefit

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his estimate is of the proportion of incapacity benefit claimants in the UK who were aged over (a) 40, (b) 50, (c) 55, (d) 60 and (e) 65 in (i) 198586, (ii) 199091, (iii) 200001 and (iv) the latest year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Anne McGuire: The information is not available in the format requested. The available information is in the table.
	
		Sickness benefit (SB), invalidity benefit (IVB), severe disability allowance (SDA) and incapacity benefit (IB) claimants in Great Britain by age group at dates shown
		
			  Year ending Quarter ending 
			  April 1996 March 1991 February 2001 November 2004 
		
		
			 All ages 1,398,200 1,972,000 2,692,100 2,696,500 
			  
			 Under 40 327,900 432,500 780,500 782,600 
			 Percentage 23.45 21.93 28.99 29.02 
			  
			 4049 230,600 346,900 587,700 638,800 
			 Percentage 16.49 17.59 21.83 23.69 
			  
			 5054 173,000 257,900 438,800 391,600 
			 Percentage 12.37 13.08 16.30 14.52 
			  
			 5559 250,600 345,500 492,000 528,300 
			 Percentage 17.92 17.52 18.28 19.59 
			  
			 6064 316,800 367,500 365,700 325,100 
			 Percentage 22.66 18.64 13.58 12.06 
			  
			 65 and over 99,300 221,700 27,400 30,100 
			 Percentage 7.10 11.24 1.02 1.12 
		
	
	Notes:
	1.Figures are rounded to the nearest hundred. Totals may not sum due to rounding.
	2.Claimant figures include all credits only cases.
	3.Sickness/invalidity benefit was replaced by incapacity benefit in April 1995.
	Source:
	Information directorate 1 per cent. sample for 1986 and 1991. 5 per cent. sample for 2001 and 2004.

Internal Audit Recommendations

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will place in the Library internal audit recommendations made in the last four years for (a) Jobcentre Plus, (b) the Pension Service and (c) the Disability and Carers Directorate.

Anne McGuire: The Department will review all internal audit recommendations for the last four years and in due course will place these in the Library. The only exceptions to this will be those recommendations where there is specific commercial or policy reason not to make the information available and those recommendations already placed in the Library on 22 March 2005 for the Child Support Agency.

Local Housing Allowance Scheme

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the most recent average waiting time for a new claim to be assessed under the Local Housing Allowance scheme is in each of the original nine Pathfinder authorities; and what the average waiting time was for a housing benefit claim to be assessed in each of these authorities in each year since 1997.

James Plaskitt: The available information is in the following table.
	
		Average housing benefit (rent allowance) claim processing times in local housing allowance pathfinder authorities.
		
			  200001 200102 200203 200304 200405(14) 
		
		
			 Brighton and Hove 79.77 n/a 30.7 29.99 34.02 
			 Blackpool 44.81 44.13 47.96 31.42 26.05 
			 Leeds 47.84 36.76 41.54 31.01 90.08 
			 Lewisham 55.41 44.74 43.89 44.29 34.06 
			 Teignbridge 41.51 37.63 36.22 40.17 31.8 
			 Edinburgh n/a 77.79 78.41 98.54 89.44 
			 Conwy 79.69 67.69 62.5 40.34 31.47 
			 Coventry 61.9 65.64 65.18 53.99 53.77 
			 NE Lincolnshire 32.89 49.38 64.59 48.96 35.76 
		
	
	n/a = not available.
	(14)First three quarters.
	Notes:
	1.Average processing times are given in days.
	2.Data is collected on rent allowance claims which includes, but is not exclusive to, the local housing allowance.
	3.Data on average processing times is not available prior March 2000 when the best value performance indicators were introduced
	4.The increase in processing times in Leeds have been caused by a change of IT system.
	Source: Local Authority MIS data.

Jobcentre Plus

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many Jobcentre Plus offices there are in Coventry.

Margaret Hodge: In Coventry there are currently three Jobcentres, one Jobcentre Plus office and one Social Security office.

Management Consultants

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the total expenditure saved in each of the last three years as a result of implementing recommendations by management consultancies within his Department.

Margaret Hodge: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Maternity Pay

Jimmy Hood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how much employers spent in (a) the UK and (b) Scotland on statutory maternity pay in (i) 2002, (ii) 2003, (iii) 2004 and (iv) 2005; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what the cost of statutory maternity pay has been to employers in the UK in 2005; and if he will make a statement.

Anne McGuire: Information is not available for Scotland. The available information, which is on a UK basis, is in the following table.
	
		UK expenditure on statutory maternity pay by employers --  million
		
			  Outturn Forecast 
			  200203 200304 200405 200506 
		
		
			 Initial employer expenditure 840 1,208 1,319 1,357 
			 Amount recovered through national insurance deductions 785 1,129 1,233 1,268 
			 Net employer expenditure 55 79 86 89 
		
	
	Notes:
	1.Expenditure information is on an accruals basis.
	2.Outturn information is available for the financial year 200203. Data for other financial years are forecasts.
	3.Although statutory maternity pay is originally paid for by the employer, they are entitled to receive a reimbursement of 92 per cent. of their costs through deductions to national insurance contributions. Small employers, in addition to the 92 per cent. reimbursement, receive Small Employers Relief of 12.5 per cent. which brings their total reimbursement to 104.5 per cent. As a result the final net expenditure paid by the employer is much lower than their initial outlay.
	4.There is a large increase in expenditure between 200203 and 200304 because the number of weeks a woman is entitled to claim SMP rose from 18 to 26.
	Source:
	Source of forecast information is the Government Actuary Department's forecasting model for Budget 2005.

Maternity Pay

Jimmy Hood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many women in Scotland received maternity payments in (a) 2003, (b) 2004 and (c) 2005; and if he will make a statement.

Anne McGuire: The information is not available below GB level.

Maternity Pay

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  when he expects the review of eligibility for earnings disregards under maternity allowance and statutory maternity pay to be completed;
	(2)  how many women are receiving (a) maternity allowance and (b) statutory maternity pay; and if he will make a statement on eligibility for earnings disregards in relation to such benefits.

Anne McGuire: Neither maternity allowance nor statutory maternity pay is subject to earnings disregards; they are income replacement benefits.
	As 28 February 2005, there were 25,600 women in receipt of maternity allowance. During 200405, the number of new statutory maternity pay claims was 313,000.

Ministerial Taskforce for Health, Safety and Productivity

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when the Ministerial Taskforce for Health, Safety and Productivity last met; and what progress it has made in reducing days lost through sickness and absence in the public sector.

Margaret Hodge: The Ministerial Task Force on Health, Safety and Productivity met on 22 June and 20 July 2005. The Task Force produced a report on Managing Sickness Absence in the Public Sector in December 2004. It has since reviewed how its recommendations are being implemented within the civil service.
	A number of pilots to test effectiveness of management interventions and develop best practice are now in place, including in my own Department. Some are already showing positive results. For example in HM Prison Service there has been a fall in sickness rates of 4.7 per cent. overall in one year.
	The Task Force will be agreeing realistic targets for the public sector and monitoring progress.

New Deal

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people have started on a new deal scheme more than once.

Margaret Hodge: The new deal has been successful in helping more than 1.3 million people into work. 577,020 people have started the new deal more than once. There are several possible reasons for this. In a dynamic, shifting labour market, it is inevitable that some people entering the new deal will return to unemployment. Equally a person may cease their involvement on the new deal because they move from jobseekers' allowance on to another benefit or stop claiming at all. These people may subsequently reclaim and return to the new deal. However, the new deal is a long-term investment to make a real difference to the lives of its participants. Those who do return to benefits have still added to their skills, confidence and experience, making it easier for them to find a job in the future.

Parliamentary Questions

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he will reply to question reference 7079 from the hon. Member for Sutton and Cheam.

Anne McGuire: A reply was given on 19 July.

Part-time Study Rules

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether young homeless people will be allowed to take part in the pilot scheme allowing low-skills benefits claimants in England to take up free, full-time training towards a first level 2 qualification, without losing benefits.

Margaret Hodge: Yes. The New Deal for Skills Adult Learning Option trial, due to start in autumn 2006, will test the effectiveness of providing financial support for adult Jobcentre Plus customers to allow them to take up a first full Level 2 qualification through Learning and Skills Council funded provision.
	The option is for benefit recipients for whom a lack of skills is the barrier to employment and young homeless people who meet this criterion will be eligible for consideration on the same basis as other Jobcentre Plus customers.

Pathways Programme

Jimmy Hood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the effectiveness of the Pathways programme since its introduction in (a) helping people on incapacity benefit to obtain employment and (b) providing help to disabled people to manage their condition.

Margaret Hodge: We have early signs that the Pathways to Work approach is having a positive impact, providing a framework of high-quality active support for people on incapacity benefits. To the end of March 2005 there have been around 13,400 Pathways job entries and there is increasingly clear evidence of a significant increase in the proportions of new claimants leaving benefit.
	In our Pathways pilot areas we have achieved an increase of about 8 per cent. in the number of people who move off incapacity benefit within six months when compared to non pilot areas. The increase exceeds our initial expectations.
	Around 20 per cent. of all those attending work-focused interviews (WFIs) take up one of the forms of back-to-work help available in Pathways areas.
	The element of Pathways designed to provide help to disabled people to manage their condition is the NHS Condition Management Programme which has been particularly welcomed by both customers and personal advisers. There have been 4,900 starts to Condition Management Programmes since their introduction in October 2003. Some of those whose health condition improved cited the Condition Management Programme as a contributing factor.
	The Pathways to Work pilots are operating in seven areas and we will add 14 additional pilot areas from October 2005 onwards.
	The latest Pathways statistics, Pathways to Work Performance and Analysis, have been placed in the Library.

Pathways Programme

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he plans to roll out Pathways to Work across the UK; and what the planned expenditure on Pathways to Work is in (a) 200506, (b) 200607, (c) 200708 and (d) 200809.

Margaret Hodge: The Pathways to Work programme is currently available in seven areas covering around 9 per cent. of all incapacity benefit claimants.
	Between October 2005 and October 2006 we will be further extending Pathways in three phases to around one-third of claimants. We will look to continue this phased roll-out on the way to providing national coverage.
	The planned expenditure on the current Pathways to Work model is in the table.
	
		Planned expenditure on the current Pathways to Work model
		
			  Cost ( million) 
		
		
			 200506 65 
			 200607 132 
			 200708 149 
			 200809 149

Pension Credit

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what his latest estimate is of the number of pensioners who are not claiming pension credits to which they are entitled;
	(2)  what his latest estimate is of the number of pensioners who are not claiming each of the means-tested benefits to which they are entitled.

James Plaskitt: Latest estimates of the number of pensioners entitled to but not receiving the main income-related benefits relate to the financial year 200203. These cover minimum income guarantee, housing benefit and council tax benefit and are published in the Department for Work and Pensions report Income Related Benefits Estimates of Take-Up in 200203. A copy of the report is in the Library.
	There are now over 2.7 million households in Great Britain receiving pension credit. Estimates based on the Family Resources Survey suggest that there are 3.85 million households entitled to pension credit in Great Britain in 200506. These two figures come from different sources, are calculated differently and are not directly comparable.

Pension Credit

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which categories of benefits are disregarded in assessing income for the purposes of calculating the pension credit.

James Plaskitt: The benefits disregarded in assessing income for the purposes of calculating pension credit are listed at regulation 15 of the State Pension Credit Regulations 2002. A copy of which is available in the Library.

Pension Credit

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what percentage of pensioner households in Scotland are in receipt of pension credit.

James Plaskitt: At 31 March 2005, 280,795 pensioner households in Scotland were in receipt of pension credit. This figure represents approximately 37 percent., of the total number of households in Scotland with at least one member aged 60 or over, based on data from the 2001 Census.
	Notes:
	1. The number of pension credit households is rounded to the nearest five.
	2. Census data on pensioner households in Scotland obtained from the General Register Office for Scotland.

Pension Credit

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners there were in the Stroud constituency in the last year for which figures are available; and how many were in receipt of pension credit.

James Plaskitt: The most recent estimates of pensioner population by parliamentary constituency are contained in Census 2001Census Area Statistics for Parliamentary Constituencies in England and Wales, which is available in the Library. Information on numbers of households and individuals in receipt of pension credit in each constituency at 31 March 2005 is contained in the most recent quarterly pension credit progress report, which was published on 20 June. A copy of the report is in the Library.

Pension Rights

Malcolm Rifkind: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his latest estimate is of the number of occupational pension scheme members who are facing losses to their pension savings due to their schemes being wound up by their employers.

James Plaskitt: We have not made any estimate of the total number of occupational pension scheme members who are facing losses to their pension savings due to their schemes being wound up by their employers. Based on our most recent data collection for the financial assistance scheme (FAS), we know of around 70,000 nonpensioner members in schemes that are potentially eligible for assistance from the FAS as a result of their schemes being wound up in circumstances of insolvency or where the employer no longer exists.

Pension Service

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average response time is to queries submitted to the Pension Service Retirement Pension Forecasting Team; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: The average response time to inquiries from customers requesting an individual pension forecast is 10.2 working days.

Pension Service

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many full-time equivalent helpline staff are employed by the Pension Service.

James Plaskitt: The Pension Service does not employ any helpline staff, although it provides a number of telephone services including a generic telephone number for members of the public to contact the appropriate pension centre. The generic number enables customers to be connected to the staff best placed to assist them.
	The Pension Service also provides the pension credit application line (PCAL) and pensions direct for state pension and widows benefit customers and their representatives. These services will all provide help or advice where but are not regarded as helplines. The primary purpose of PCAL, in particular, is to take applications for pension credit and its staff are not employed directly by the Pension Service.

Pensions

Malcolm Rifkind: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of how many people in employment in the UK have no pension provision.

James Plaskitt: We estimate that the number of people in employment (including the self-employed) in the UK currently not accruing a basic state pension is 1.08 million (full-time employment 370,000, part-time employment 710,000).
	We estimate that the number of people in employment (including the self-employed) in the UK currently not contributing to a private pension scheme (occupational, personal or stakeholder) is 11.2 million (full-time employment 7.9 million, part-time employment 3.3 million)
	We estimate that the number of people in employment (including the self-employed) in the UK currently not accruing a basic state pension and currently not contributing to a private pension scheme (occupational, personal or stakeholder) is 900,000 (full-time employment 270,000, part-time employment 640,000).
	Notes:
	1. All figures are estimates and are taken from the Family Resources Survey (FRS). 200304 is the latest year for which data is available. Figures are rounded up to the nearest 10,000.
	2. Our estimates from the data are of the numbers who are not accruing a pension at a given point in time. Some of those will be people who have made provision previously, and many will build up pensions subsequently.
	3. With regards to the basic state pension, the data shows whether individuals would gain state pension entitlement if they remained in the same position all year. In practice some shown as not accruing will go on to gain a year's entitlement, and others who appear to be accruing will not.
	4. All full-time employees should be earning enough to accrue a basic state pension. However some self employed may work full-time but not reach the lower profits level, and some employees may report they work full-time for less than the national minimum wage. Of the 370,000 people in full-time employment currently not accruing a state pension, 250,000 are self employed.
	5. Private pension refers to either an occupational pension or personal pension or stakeholder pension.
	Source:
	Family Resources Survey 200304.

Pensions

Malcolm Rifkind: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of active stakeholder pensions receive employer contributions.

James Plaskitt: Information is not available in the format requested. Stakeholder pensions are designed to be flexible, with holders able to take breaks in contributions without incurring penalty charges. This means that those stakeholder pensions that did not receive contributions in a particular year are not necessarily permanently dormant.
	Out of the 1,060,000 stakeholder pensions receiving contributions in the 200203 tax year, 40 per cent. (420,000) had an employer contribution. Not all stakeholder pensions receiving a contribution in that year will have been eligible for an employer contribution: stakeholder pensions are available to everyone including the self employed, carers and those in training or education.
	This information is derived from a sample of annual returns of information submitted to the Inland Revenue (now HM Revenue and Customs) by stakeholder pension providers. The figures are rounded to the nearest 10,000.

Pensions

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the net public expenditure cost, after allowing for pension credit and tax income, of the basic state pension in 2026 if the basic state pension is increased annually from 2006 by the increase in average earnings plus 2 per week.

James Plaskitt: It is estimated that by increasing the basic state pension each year by earnings plus 2 per week the total net additional cost in 2026 would be 29 billion.
	Notes:
	1. Figures are for Great Britain in 200506 price terms, using the GDP deflator index, rounded to the nearest 500 million. It is assumed the policy change comes into effect from April 2006.
	2. Gross costs are estimated by the Government Actuary's Department and are consistent with Budget 2005 assumptions and use 2003 based population projections.
	3. Costs are net of income related benefits (savings credit, guarantee credit, housing benefit and council tax benefit) and income tax, and are calculated using the Department's policy simulation model for 200506.
	4. The category A rate of basic state pension has been uprated by earnings plus 2 and category B pensions have been uprated by earnings plus 1.20 (i.e. approximately 60 per cent. of the category A rate).
	5. The state second pension is assumed to be unchanged.

Departmental Cost Savings

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what value for money procurement savings were identified and what reduction in civil service posts occurred in his Department in 200405.

Anne McGuire: In pre-Budget report 2004 the Chancellor reported OGC value for money gains in central civil government procurement for 200304 of 2billion. OGC value for money procurement gains for 200405 are being calculated and will be published in the 2005 Treasury Autumn Performance Report.
	In Budget 2005 the Chancellor announced a headcount reduction of 12,500 posts by the end of 200405, towards the Government's target of a gross reduction of 84,000 civil service and administrative posts by 2008. The number of posts in the Department for Work and Pensions reduced by 9,970 during 200405.

Sign Language and Lip-speakers

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) sign language interpreters and (b) lip-speakers were (i) in training, (ii)employed and (iii) unemployed in the UK in each year since 1997.

Anne McGuire: Information on the number of sign language interpreters who were employed and unemployed in each year since 1997 is not available. Employment statistics are drawn from the Labour Force Survey. However, there is no question in the survey that relates to whether or not respondents can lip read, or are sign language interpreters.
	I understand from the Department for Education and Skills that the information on the respective numbers in training could be calculated only at disproportionate cost.

Sign Language and Lip-speakers

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will take steps to implement the Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly's recommendation on the protection of sign languages.

Anne McGuire: The Government recognised British Sign Language (BSL) as a language in its own right and committed additional funding for initiatives to increase training opportunities for BSL tutors and raise awareness of the language in 2003 before the Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly's recommendation was made. These steps are consistent with action that recommendation 1598 (2003) encourages member states to take.
	The Council's Committee of Ministers has responsibility on behalf of member states for steering action in response to Parliamentary Assembly recommendation 1598(2003) on the protection of sign languages. The Committee's reply to the Parliamentary Assembly of 5 July 2004 said that a study of the needs of sign language users should inform the decision on any future instrument on the rights of sign language users and that it would update the Assembly on further developments including a possible international conference on sign languages.

Simone Hampshire

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how much time elapsed between agreement by the Child Support Agency of the payments to Simone Hampshire, a constituent of the hon. Member for Sittingbourne and Sheppey, and her receipt of such payments;
	(2)  if his Department will investigate the Child Support Agency's handling of the case of Simone Hampshire;
	(3)  if he will make representations to the Child Support Agency to resolve the case of Simone Hampshire.

James Plaskitt: holding answer 8 June 2005
	The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mr. Stephen Geraghty. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	Letter from Mike Isaac to Mr. Derek Wyatt, dated 21 July 2005
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions about the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions; how much time elapsed between agreement by the Child Support Agency of the payments to Simone Hampshire and her receipt of such payments; if his Department will investigate the Child Support Agency's handling of the case of Simone Hampshire; and if he will make representations to the Child Support Agency to resolve the case of Simone Hampshire.
	As details about individual cases are confidential I have written to you separately about this case on 16 June 2005.

Tax Credits

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the new tax credits system developed by Affinity for his Department; how it interfaces with the main tax credit system; and what the estimated (a) cost and (b) timescale is.

James Plaskitt: When the new tax credits commenced in 2003 a new data exchange mechanism was introduced to support the electronic exchange of data between the Department for Work and Pensions and Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs services (the Tax Credits Gateway). The Department also has enquiry facilities for tax credits award details (View Only Access) and IT to support electronic applications and reporting of changes of circumstances (e-portal).
	Delivery, in partnership with HM Revenue and Customs is expected to be completed during summer 2006 with a planned cost of 114 million.

Teenage Pregnancy

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps are being taken through the tax and benefits system to tackle teenage pregnancy and to encourage responsible parenting in Kettering.

Margaret Hodge: The tax credits and benefits systems are there to provide financial support and stability to people with children. Our highly successful welfare to work programmes and our regime of work focused interviews ensure that where possible, these people are helped into work.
	There are no further plans to tackle teenage pregnancy or responsible parenting using the benefit system. However the forthcoming welfare reform will encourage self-reliance and independence.

TREASURY

Alcohol-related Deaths

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many deaths in which the primary cause was alcohol there were in Milton Keynes in each of the last five years.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Mark Lancaster, dated 21 July 2005
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many deaths in which the primary cause was alcohol there were in Milton Keynes in each of the last five years. (13994)
	The latest year for which figures are available is 2004. The attached table shows the numbers of deaths among residents of Milton Keynes Unitary Authority where the underlying cause of death indicated a condition directly related to alcohol use in the years 2000 to 2004.
	
		Alcohol-related deaths(15)to usual residents of Milton Keynes unitary authority, registered 2000 to 2004
		
			  Number of deaths 
		
		
			 2000 19 
			 2001 21 
			 2002 26 
			 2003 20 
			 2004 22 
		
	
	(15)For the year 2000 the cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9). The codes used by ONS to define alcohol-related deaths are listed as follows:
	291Alcoholic psychoses
	303Alcohol dependence syndrome
	305.0Non-dependent abuse of alcohol
	425.5Alcoholic cardiomyopathy
	571Chronic liver disease and cirrhosis
	E860Accidental poisoning by alcohol
	For the years 200104 the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) was used. To maintain comparability with earlier years the following codes were used:
	F10Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of alcohol
	142.6Alcoholic cardiomyopathy
	K70Alcoholic liver disease
	K73Chronic hepatitis, not elsewhere classified
	K74Fobrosis and cirrhosis of liver
	X45Accidental poisoning by and exposure to alcohol
	Note:
	Deaths were selected using the original underlying cause.
	Source:
	The selection of codes to define alcohol-related deaths is described in:
	Baker A and Rooney C (2003). Recent trends in alcohol-related mortality, and the impact of ICD-10 on the monitoring of these deaths in England and Wales. Health Statistics Quarterly 17, pp 514.

Animal Feed Imports

Michael Meacher: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will ensure compensation is paid to UK farmers, food manufacturers and their insurers if UK port authorities fail to detect contaminated animal feed imports.

Caroline Flint: I have been asked to reply.
	There is a requirement under General Food Law (EC Regulation 178/2002) for both food and feed business operators to comply with the requirements of food law and verify that their requirements are met. The port health authorities are required to monitor imports and to ensure that businesses discharge their legal responsibilities, they are not responsible for checking imports on behalf of United Kingdom farmers and food manufacturers. Compensation would not therefore be provided as a result of failing to detect contaminated animal feed imports by the port health authorities.

Correspondence

Paul Burstow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many letters to his Department from hon. Members in Session (a) 200405 and (b) 200506 remain unanswered, broken down by those which are (i)one month old, (ii) two months old, (iii) three months old, (iv) four months old and (v) over six months old.

John Healey: Correspondence with the hon. Members is recorded by financial year not parliamentary Session. As at 19 July, the information sought is as follows:
	
		
			  200405 200506 to date 
		
		
			 1 month old 0 15 
			 2 months old 0 3 
			 3 months old 0 2 
			 4 months old 2 0 
			 6 months old 1 0 
			 Total over 1 month old 3 20

Correspondence

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the take-up rate of the (a) child element of child tax credit, (b) family element of child tax credit and (c) child care tax credit in working tax credit, broken down by (i) case load and (ii)expenditure.

Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Gentleman to my answer to the hon. Member for Tatton (Mr. Osborne) on 19 July 2005.

Council Tax

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate the Valuation Office Agency has made of the number of residential properties in each council tax band in Wales in (a) 200405 and (b) 200506.

Dawn Primarolo: The actual number of dwellings shown in each council tax band in Wales is as follows:
	
		For 200405 (at 31 March 2005)
		
			 Council tax band Number of dwellings 
		
		
			 A 255,796 
			 B 325,976 
			 C 265,144 
			 D 200,642 
			 E 164,444 
			 F 64,577 
			 G 38,353 
			 H 3,400 
		
	
	
		For 200506 (at 30 June 2005)
		
			 Council tax band Number of dwellings 
		
		
			 A 199,231 
			 B 285,281 
			 C 289,244 
			 D 206,943 
			 E 168,897 
			 F 103,650 
			 G 49,262 
			 H 12,053 
			 I 5,529

Debt Relief

Ann McKechin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  to which poor countries the Government's current debt relief programmes apply;
	(2)  what steps he plans to take to ensure (a) that para. 31 of the 2005 G8 Communique will be put fully into effect and (b) that international financial institutions no longer impose conditions which run counter to the policy there expressed;
	(3)  what outstanding bilateral debts the UK has from low-income countries; and from when each dates.

Ivan Lewis: The G8 agreement for multilateral debt relief is for all HIPCs who have reached completion point. Currently 18 countries could be eligible for debt worth up to $40 billion (Benin, Bolivia, Burkina Faso,Ethiopia, Ghana, Guyana, Honduras, Mali, Mauritania, Madagascar, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia). As more countries reach completion point (currently 9 pre-completion point countries, and 11 pre-decision point countries) in the HIPC initiative this will increase in value to $55 billion.
	The UK will also continue with its initiative to pay for the debt servicing of eligible non-HIPCs to the World Bank and African Development Bank. Eligible countries would be those low-income IDA-only borrowers who have sufficiently strong public financial management systems in place to ensure that the savings from debt relief are used for poverty reducing expenditures.
	The G8 proposal is fully consistent with para. 31 of the 2005 G8 Communique with countries eligible for relief ready to demonstrate their commitment to poverty reduction and sound financial management.
	Please see the following table for the countries with outstanding bilateral debt owed to the UK. These are the amounts owed to ECGD under Paris Club bilateral rescheduling agreements.
	
		Sovereign debts owing to ECGD under bilateral debt agreements following Paris Club reschedulings, all countries as at17 July 2005
		
			 Country Debts incurred prior to Outstanding ( million) 
		
		
			 Algeria October 1993 123.3 
			 Angola January 1987 141.1 
			 Argentina December 1983 33.3 
			 Bosnia and Herzegovina December 1982 1.3 
			 Brazil April 1983 133.4 
			 Cameroon January 1989 52.3 
			 Central African Republic January 1983 0.4 
			 Congo Republic August 1986 151.5 
			 Democratic Republic of Congo July 1983 73.9 
			 Cote D'Ivoire July 1983 17.3 
			 Croatia December 1982 43.1 
			 Cuba September 1982 103.5 
			 Ecuador January 1983 52.4 
			 Egypt November 1986 143.5 
			 Gabon July 1986 139.5 
			 Guinea January 1986 3.9 
			 Indonesia July 1997 743.0 
			 Jamaica October 1983 0.9 
			 Jordan January 1989 344.8 
			 Kenya January 1991 19.8 
			 Liberia January 1983 22.8 
			 Macedonia December 1982 2.4 
			 Malawi January 1982 0.3 
			 Morocco May 1983 13.3 
			 Nigeria October 1985 4,392.7 
			 Pakistan October 1997 6.8 
			 Peru January 1983 101.4 
			 Philippines April 1984 5.2 
			 Russia January 1991 651.8 
			 Senegal January 1983 1.0 
			 Serbia and Montenegro December 1982 252.8 
			 Sierra Leone July 1983 3.3 
			 Somalia October 1983 30.5 
			 Sudan January 1984 580.6 
			 Togo January 1983 20.5 
			 Vietnam January 1990 9.8

Fisheries (EU Council Directive)

Michael Weir: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will amend Her Majesty's Customs and Excise Notice 263 to take account of the terms of EU Council Directive 2003/96/EC.

John Healey: No. Notice 263 explains the eligibility and procedures for reclaiming excise duty on fuel used in commercial vessels to make marine voyages. It is fully in line with Article 14 (1) (c) of EU Council Directive 2003/96/EC, which requires the exemption from duty of fuel used in commercial navigation, including fishing.

Lorry Road User Charge Division

Alan Duncan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether it is his intention to redeploy the HM Revenue and Customs Lorry Road User Charge division; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: Yes.

Money Laundering

Roger Williams: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people who had their application to open a bank account declined on the basis that they represented a risk of money laundering were subsequently allowed to open a bank account in the UK, having provided further information.

Ivan Lewis: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 19 July 2005, Official Report, column 1690W.

National Statistics

Geoffrey Robinson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people worked in (a) inner London and (b) Greater London in each year since 1975.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Geoffrey Robinson, dated 21 July 2005
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about employment in inner and Greater London since 1975. (13762)
	The table overleaf shows the number of people working in inner London and the London region for each three-month period ending May of each year from 1992 to 2005. Estimates for earlier years are not available.
	These estimates are based on Labour Force Survey (LFS) data which, as with any sample survey, is subject to sampling variability. The LFS is a survey of households, but the attached estimates are based on respondents' reported place of work rather than residence.
	
		Number of people working in inner London and London region; March to May; 1992 to 2005; not seasonally adjusted -- Thousand
		
			 Period Inner London London 
		
		
			 MarchMay 1992 1,903 3,602 
			 MarchMay 1993 1,890 3,444 
			 MarchMay 1994 1,872 3,402 
			 MarchMay 1995 1,899 3,471 
			 MarchMay 1996 1,900 3,471 
			 MarchMay 1997 1,984 3,599 
			 MarchMay 1998 1,994 3,603 
			 MarchMay 1999 2,052 3,770 
			 MarchMay 2000 2,069 3,694 
			 MarchMay 2001 2,171 3,777 
			 MarchMay 2002 2,153 3,791 
			 MarchMay 2003 2,104 3,716 
			 MarchMay 2004 2,226 3,891 
			 MarchMay 2005 2,229 3,887 
		
	
	Source:
	Labour Force Survey

Pension Credit

Jessica Morden: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people in each ward of Newport, East claim pension credit.

James Plaskitt: I have been asked to reply.
	The information is given in the following table.
	
		Pension credit recipients, Newport, East, March 2005
		
			 Ward Pension credit recipients (households) 
		
		
			 Caldicot Castle 115 
			 Dewstow 55 
			 Green Lane 60 
			 Mill 95 
			 Rogiet 45 
			 Severn 140 
			 The Elms 20 
			 West End 75 
			 Always 350 
			 Beechwood 525 
			 Langstone 80 
			 Liswerry 475 
			 Llanwern 140 
			 Ringland 710 
			 St. Julians 330 
			 Victoria 335 
		
	
	Notes:
	1.All wards are based on Census wards, current as at April 2003.
	2.All benefit counts at ward level are rounded to a multiple of five, to protect the confidentiality of individual claimants.
	Source:
	Information Directorate, Department for Work and Pensions, 100 per cent. sample

Red Diesel

David Drew: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on progress on achieving a further derogation from EU law for marine operators who use red diesel.

Michael Weir: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with representatives of the fishing industry and other marine interests on the impact of EU Council Directive 2003/96/EC on their industries.

John Healey: I refer the hon. Members to what I said to the House on 26 May 2005, Official Report, column 865.

Red Diesel

James Arbuthnot: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he plans to renew the derogation from EU Directive 2003/96/EC which allows red diesel to be taxed at a lower rate for private recreational marine craft; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: I refer the right hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Orkney and Shetland (Mr.Carmichael) on 14 October 2004, Official Report, column 344W.

Tax Credits

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many requests for reconsideration of recovery of overpaid tax credits were received in total by (a) December 2004, (b) March 2005, (c) April 2005, (d) May 2005 and (e) June 2005; how many of these have been resolved; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: For requests received and resolved by December 2004 I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave on 10 January 2005, Official Report, column 129W to the hon. Member for Aberdeen, South (Miss Begg).
	
		
			  Cumulative total of requests received Cumulative total of requests resolved 
		
		
			 March 2005 217,000 92,000 
			 April 2005 249,000 124,000 
			 May 2005 271,000 151,000 
			 June 2005 294,000 178,000

Tax Credits

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) tax credit cases and (b) amendments to tax credit cases were calculated clerically in (i) 200304 and (ii) 200405.

Dawn Primarolo: The information is not available.

Tax Credits

Danny Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many tax credit claimants have had direct payments of tax credits interrupted by the problem affecting the system for making direct payments of tax credits into bank accounts; what action has been taken to address the problem; and when he expects the problem to be resolved.

Dawn Primarolo: There is no problem affecting the system for making direct payments into bank accounts.
	There were some delays in payment to new claimants and those reporting changes of circumstances in early April following a routine upgrade to the tax credits computer system. Claimants were able to request interim giro payments in cases of hardship.

Tax Credits

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with (a) Ministers and (b) officials from the Department of Health to discuss the impact of the tax credit system on social workers.

Dawn Primarolo: Ministers and officials from a number of Departments regularly discuss issues related to the tax credit system.

Tax Credits

George Osborne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what the largest number of adults residing in a single household in receipt of tax credits was in 200405;
	(2)  what the largest annual income for a household in receipt of tax credits was in 200405;
	(3)  what the smallest single tax credit payment was in 200405.

Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Tax Credits

George Osborne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many households containing higher rate income taxpayers were in receipt of tax credits in 200405.

Dawn Primarolo: We estimate that approximately 300,000 families containing a higher rate income tax-payer were in receipt of tax credits in 200405. All of these families received child tax credit only.

Tax Credits

George Osborne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what projections he made prior to the launch of the child tax credit and the working tax credit of the number of awards in 200304 that would involve (a) underpayments and (b) overpayments; and what projections he made of the value of these underpayments and overpayments.

Dawn Primarolo: For a projection of the number of awards that may need to be reassessed due to rises in income prior to the introduction of tax credits I refer the hon. Member to page 29 of The Child and Working Tax Credits. The Modernisation of Britain's Tax and Benefit System. Number Ten. A link of this can be found on HMT website at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/media/8D5/BD/new_tax_credits.pdf

Tax Credits

George Osborne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what revisions he has made to the projection in his Department's spring Departmental Report that 97.1 per cent. of new claims, renewals and changes of circumstance within the tax credits system would be decided accurately in 200405.

Dawn Primarolo: The final figure is not yet available. The Department will publish final results for 200405 in its Annual Report, which will be available on its website at www.hmrc.gov.uk

Tax Credits

Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many tax credit awards were reduced in response to an alleged overpayment and subsequently discovered not to have been overpaid in (a) 200304 and (b) 200405.

Dawn Primarolo: This information is not available.

Tax Credits

Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the (a) number and (b) value of additional hardship tax credit payments made to tax credit claimants has been since their inception.

Dawn Primarolo: In 200304, the Revenue made additional tax credits payments to around 32,500 claimants. In 200405, HMRC made additional tax credits payments to around 10,000 claimants.
	The total value of the payments was around 26 million.

Tax Credits

Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) complaints, (b) disputed overpayments and (c) appeals against Inland Revenue decisions are registered with the tax credits office.

Dawn Primarolo: Currently there are around (a) 5,900 complaints (b) 108,000 disputed overpayments and (c) 5,700 appeals pending at the tax credits office.

Tax Credits

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he was advised on the legal opinion of Richard Drabble QC on the practice of automatic recovery of overpaid tax credits; when he asked his Department's lawyers for advice; and what action he has taken in response.

Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when HM Revenue and Customs expects to receive the legal advice it has requested on its code of practice on the recovery of overpayment of tax credits.

Dawn Primarolo: holding answer 5 July 2005
	It is in the public interest that decisions taken by Government Departments are taken in a fully informed legal context. Government Departments, such as HMRC, therefore regularly need to be able to obtain full and comprehensive legal advice necessary for the effective conduct of public affairs without which the quality of decision-making will be greatly impaired. As with the advice in question, such advice is not routinely brought to the attention of Ministers.

Tax Returns (MPs)

Andrew Robathan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for what reasons hon. Members are not able to file their tax returns via the internet.

Dawn Primarolo: The vast majority of Self Assessment taxpayers can take advantage of HMRC's online services to file their tax return via the internet. However, a small proportion of SA taxpayers (including MPs) need to complete special dedicated pages. These forms are not available online since it would be disproportionately costly to develop the links to departmental computer systems.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Adult Education Colleges

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  what criteria were used for distributing funds to adult education colleges in 200405;
	(2)  whether she plans to change the (a) criteria and (b) method for allocating funding for adult education colleges in the next academic year;
	(3)  for what reasons funding for adult education colleges has been allocated for only one year;
	(4)  what factors affected the timing of the announcement of decisions on allocations of funding for adult education colleges;
	(5)  when she expects decisions on allocations of funding for adult education colleges for 200607 to be made.

Bill Rammell: The Department allocates funds for post-16 education and training to the Learning and Skills Council (LSC), the body that plans provision and allocates resources to colleges and other providers. Our Grant Letter of 15 November 2004 to the LSC and the White Paper Skills: Getting on in Business, getting on at work published in March set out our priorities and the LSC allocate resources to providers to meet our priorities of a place in school, college or on an apprenticeship for all young people, and a focus on adults without a solid foundation of employability skills. Funding is allocated to colleges and other providers on the basis of proven performance in meeting these priorities. Later this year we will publish our annual grant letter outlining our priorities for 200607. The notification by the LSC to further education providers of their 2005/06 allocations was in line with the planning timetable set out earlier in the year. We expect the timetable for the planning and budgeting process for 2006/07 to be broadly similar to this year although the LSC expects to begin initial discussions with education providers in September 2005. and other providers. Our Grant Letter of 15 November 2004 to the LSC and the White Paper Skills: Getting on in Business, getting on at work published in March set out our priorities and the LSC allocate resources to providers to meet our priorities of a place in school, college or on an apprenticeship for all young people, and a focus on adults without a solid foundation of employability skills. Funding is allocated to colleges and other providers on the basis of proven performance in meeting these priorities. Later this year we will publish our annual grant letter outlining our priorities for 200607. The notification by the LSC to further education providers of their 2005/06 allocations was in line with the planning timetable set out earlier in the year. We expect the timetable for the planning and budgeting process for 2006/07 to be broadly similar to this year although the LSC expects to begin initial discussions with education providers in September 2005.

Apprenticeships

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will list the (a) companies in receipt of funds from the Learning and Skills Council for participating in the Apprenticeship scheme and (b) amounts received in each year for which figures are available.

Phil Hope: The Learning and Skills Councils contracts with learning providers, some of whom are employers, to deliver work based learning programmes including Apprenticeships. The full list of all providers for the 2004/05 academic year and the amount of their funding has been published on the LSC website at:
	www.lsc.gov.uk/National/Documents/SubjectListing/FundingLearning/FurtherEducation/WBL_allocations.htm.
	Details for previous years are not available.

Bullying

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many incidents of bullying of children have been reported in (a) Essex and (b) the Metropolitan Police area of London (i) at primary schools and (ii) in post-primary education in the last three years, broken down by (A) local authority and (B) category of bullying; and how many incidents tookplace on public transport to or from school in each case.

Jacqui Smith: As data on bullying is not collected centrally we do not have statistics relating to the incidence of bullying at primary or post-primary level in Essex and London. Bullying cases appear to be reported more often now than previously but we have no hard evidence that bullying is increasing or that it is affecting more children. Indeed, as children and young people increasingly feel safe at school to report bullying, and confident that it will be tackled effectively and sensitively, it is likely reporting will rise. However, any level of bullying is too high and we are determined to help schools tackle the problem. Our guidance pack Bullying: Don't Suffer in Silence, the anti-bullying Charter and the anti-bullying website www.dfes.gov.uk/bullying offer detailed advice on preventing and addressing bullying. We also offer specific advice to schools on tackling homophobic bullying and are developing advice on racist bullying.
	We have raised awareness of the importance of children who are being bullied telling an adult about what is happening, through our public information film Tell Someone and our leaflets and postcards for children and their parents. Our recent Beat Bullying blue wristband campaign was launched in partnership with Radio One, during the first national anti-bullying week in November 2004. By the end of December, one million children and young people had answered our call to Make a Stand, Wear a Band and make a visible commitment that they are not prepared to tolerate bullying and will stand by their friends.

Children's Academic Achievement

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what research she has evaluated on whether there is a relationship between the number of hours spent watching television and children's academic achievement.

Beverley Hughes: The Department has not commissioned any research on the relationship between the number of hours spent watching television and children's academic achievement However, current international research evidence points to the following:
	Watching good quality educational programming in the early years can benefit children's language development, in the right conditions.
	Conversely, extensive viewing of age-inappropriate or entertainment programming can hinder language development.
	In addition, television viewing before age three has been shown to have a modest adverse effect on cognitive outcomes at age six and seven.
	Increased television viewing by children has a long-lasting association with a higher chance of having no formal qualifications by the age of 26.
	Other learning activities such as reading may be displaced by television viewing.
	Having a television in the bedroom is negatively associated with test scores for children aged 8.
	The American academy of paediatrics recommends that children watch a maximum of two hours of quality programming per day. The National Literacy Trust's Talk To Your Baby campaign recommends no more than half-an-hour for under twos, and one hour for three to five-year-olds.

Classroom Behaviour

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assistance her Department (a) is giving and (b) plans to give during the next 12months to schools in Southend to promote good behaviour in the classroom.

Jacqui Smith: Our Secondary Strategy will continue to give all secondary schools in Southend access to high-quality behaviour management training materials and support from a DFES-funded behaviour management consultant. Our Primary Strategy will continue to give all primary schools in Southend access to high-quality training and curriculum materials to improve children's social, emotional and behavioural skills. In addition:
	our Excellence in Cities programme will continue to provide Southend with extra funding (1.6 million for the 200506 school year), about half of which can be used to fund Learning Mentors and Learning Support Units in schools in the Southend Excellence Cluster; and
	our Behaviour Improvement Programme is now providing Southend with further additional funding (780,000 for the 200506 school year) to support selected schools facing the greatest behaviour challenges.

Deprived Children

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what estimate she has made of the percentage of children classed as deprived using the index of multiple deprivation who do not attend school.

Jacqui Smith: None. Information is not centrally available on pupil attendance classified by the Index of Multiple Deprivation.

Drinking Water

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  what assessment her Department has made of the health benefits to pupils and staff of providing fresh drinking water throughout the school day;
	(2)  what steps her Department takes (a) to inform local education authorities, (b) governors and (c) schools of their responsibility for the provision of fresh drinking water to children and staff throughout the school day;
	(3)  what assessment she has made of the increased requirement for access to fresh drinking water for pupils arising from the extension of the school day from eight to six o'clock.

Jacqui Smith: We are aware of the importance of school children drinking water during their working day and the benefits that it brings. For the last three years both the Department of Health and Department for Education and Skills have been working on a food in schools programme that aims to help schools implement a whole school approach to food education and healthy eating. The interactive food in schools toolkit which can be viewed at www.foodinschools.org, provides a wide range of guidance, resources and interactive tools to inspire and support schools in taking a whole school approach to healthy eating and drinking, including water provision.
	The water provision guidance supports schools in reviewing and improving current provision and in promoting water consumption. The guidance has been informed by the food in schools water provision project, which was piloted in 40 schools in the North East and East Midland region.
	Cross Government working between the DfES, Department of Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), Department of Health (DoH) and the Food Standards Agency (FSA), on ways to increase awareness of the importance of food and drink within the school environment resulted in the publication on 6 September 2004 of the Healthy Living Blueprint for Schools.
	The blueprint, issued to all schools, brings together all Government advice and examples of best practice about healthy eating and drinking in schools. It provides schools with advice on what they can do to improve children's approach to food and drink and exercise, and shows how developing whole school approaches can help bring about significant improvements to the health of children.
	Healthy School Lunches Guidance, published by the DfES, contains the Secretary of State's expectation that drinking water should be available to all pupils every day, free of charge. This view is mirrored in the Healthy Living Blueprint for Schools, which states that,
	all pupils should have access to drinking water at all times at a number of points around the school, preferably not from taps in the toilets. Pupils should be permitted to carry water with them and consumption encouraged both in class and during break and lunch time.
	However, it is the responsibility of head teachers and school's governing bodies to decide when water should be made available. We consider that they are best placed to make these decisions in their role of having responsibility of the day-to-day running of the school and with their knowledge of the individual circumstances of their pupils.

Drinking Water

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps her Department plans to take to ensure that local education authorities and individual schools raise the standard of their drinking water facilities.

Jacqui Smith: We have already issued design guidance for new school buildings in the May 2003 revision of Building Bulletin 87 Guidelines for Environmental Design in Schools, which can be downloaded from www.teachernet.gov.uk/energy. We are also producing a joint publication on Sustainable Water Management in Schools with the Environment Agency and DEFRA to be published in October 2005. Finally we will be revising the School Premises Regulations to give more specific guidance on drinking water.

Drinking Water

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what additional funding is available to schools unable to refurbish or upgrade drinking water facilities due to lack of resources.

Jacqui Smith: We allocate capital funding directly to local authorities and schools and do not hold back reserves to respond to requests for individual projects. We expect local authorities to prioritise expenditure in their locally prepared asset management plans, which should be drawn up in consultation with their schools and local partners. In addition, schools are allocated their own Devolved Formula Capital which can be spent on upgrading water facilities, if that is their priority.
	Stoke-on-Trent local authority and its schools have so far been allocated 33.2 million capital funding in the three years 200304 to 200506. Within this figure, Devolved Formula Capital of 11.1 million has been allocated directly to schools.

Education Funding

Michael Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the total recurrent funding per pupil was for each local education authority for years 199899 to 200506 in 200506 real terms.

Jacqui Smith: Total funding includes funding via education formula spending (EPS)/standard spending assessment and revenue grants allocated at an LEA level. It excludes the pensions transfer to EFS and the Learning and Skills Council, and is in real terms.
	These figures use the latest GDP deflators provided by the Office for National Statistics as at 30 June 2005, which are based on 200405 prices. 
	
		Real terms total revenue funding per pupil aged 319, (), by LEA(16)
		
			 LEA name 199899 19992000 200001 200102 200203 
		
		
			 Barking and Dagenham 3,370 3,480 3,740 3,960 4,120 
			 Barnet 3,260 3,380 3,560 3,810 3,960 
			 Barnsley 2,870 3,010 3,240 3,420 3,520 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 2,750 2,890 3,100 3,200 3,300 
			 Bedfordshire 2,900 3,020 3,290 3,460 3,570 
			 Bexley 3,080 3,160 3,350 3,520 3,650 
			 Birmingham 3,150 3,330 3,650 3,860 3,960 
			 Blackburn with Darwen 3,060 3,290 3,550 3,730 3,820 
			 Blackpool 2,930 3,040 3,290 3,430 3,540 
			 Bolton 2,830 2,990 3,240 3,360 3,480 
			 Bournemouth 2,970 3,060 3,280 3,370 3,430 
			 Bracknell Forest 3,010 3,090 3,290 3,450 3,560 
			 Bradford 3,010 3,210 3,530 3,750 3,840 
			 Brent 3,780 3,920 4,130 4,390 4,570 
			 Brighton and Hove 3,150 3,270 3,540 3,690 3,780 
			 Bristol, City of 2,910 3,050 3,330 3,490 3,620 
			 Bromley 3,090 3,200 3,400 3,570 3,690 
			 Buckinghamshire 2,960 3,080 3,300 3,460 3,570 
			 Bury 2,730 2,870 3,090 3,240 3,330 
			 Calderdale 2,850 3,020 3,250 3,380 3,500 
			 Cambridgeshire 2,780 2,930 3,130 3,240 3,320 
			 Camden 4,380 4,610 4,970 5,210 5,400 
			 Cheshire 2,740 2,860 3,070 3,200 3,280 
			 Cornwall 2,920 3,050 3,270 3,410 3,510 
			 Coventry 3,020 3,160 3,410 3,540 3,650 
			 Croydon 3,310 3,450 3,660 3,850 3,970 
			 Cumbria 2,810 2,950 3,200 3,360 3,460 
			 Darlington 2,800 2,960 3,220 3,360 3,420 
			 Derby 2,940 3,110 3,340 3,460 3,580 
			 Derbyshire 2,730 2,860 3,080 3,200 3,300 
			 Devon 2,920 3,000 3,210 3,330 3,410 
			 Doncaster 2,920 3,060 3,290 3,440 3,550 
			 Dorset 2,820 2,930 3,150 3,270 3,370 
			 Dudley 2,690 2,820 3,040 3,170 3,260 
			 Durham 2,860 3,000 3,270 3,470 3,530 
			 Ealing 3,500 3,650 3,920 4,170 4,280 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 2,760 2,890 3,140 3,270 3,340 
			 East Sussex 3,010 3,130 3,390 3,540 3,630 
			 Enfield 3,370 3,510 3,710 3,960 4,140 
			 Essex 3,000 3,100 3,330 3,490 3,570 
			 Gateshead 2,910 3,050 3,340 3,550 3,660 
			 Gloucestershire 2,800 2,940 3,160 3,280 3,370 
			 Greenwich 3,940 4,180 4,580 4,800 5,000 
			 Hackney 4,560 4,860 5,200 5,410 5,600 
			 Halton 2,980 3,120 3,420 3,660 3,770 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 4,360 4,570 4,930 5,150 5,440 
			 Hampshire 2,830 2,920 3,140 3,310 3,390 
			 Haringey 3,870 4,110 4,410 4,670 4,800 
			 Harrow 3,190 3,310 3,530 3,740 3,840 
			 Hartlepool 2,900 3,030 3,300 3,490 3,590 
			 Havering 3,060 3,140 3,330 3,530 3,630 
			 Herefordshire 2,910 3,040 3,260 3,380 3,470 
			 Hertfordshire 3,000 3,090 3,320 3,470 3,560 
			 Hillingdon 3,230 3,370 3,560 3,690 3,810 
			 Hounslow 3,420 3,580 3,810 4,030 4,220 
			 Isle of Wight 3,120 3,230 3,500 3,690 3,780 
			 Islington 4,290 4,530 5,000 5,300 5,440 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 4,360 4,670 5,030 5,280 5,610 
			 Kent 3,000 3,110 3,340 3,500 3,610 
			 Kingston upon Hull, City of 3,010 3,160 3,470 3,650 3,750 
			 Kingston upon Thames 3,050 3,170 3,390 3,600 3,710 
			 Kirklees 2,880 3,050 3,280 3,440 3,530 
			 Knowsley 3,290 3,460 3,830 4,080 4,190 
			 Lambeth 4,650 4,870 5,210 5,390 5,590 
			 Lancashire 2,850 2,990 3,230 3,380 3,460 
			 Leeds 2,850 2,990 3,280 3,470 3,590 
			 Leicester 3,130 3,310 3,560 3,720 3,850 
			 Leicestershire 2,730 2,850 3,050 3,170 3,250 
			 Lewisham 4,190 4,390 4,690 4,930 5,110 
			 Lincolnshire 2,860 2,990 3,210 3,360 3,460 
			 Liverpool 3,260 3,430 3,830 4,040 4,160 
			 Luton 3,180 3,340 3,570 3,750 3,870 
			 Manchester 3,360 3,590 4,010 4,220 4,320 
			 Medway 2,960 3,070 3,290 3,450 3,570 
			 Merton 3,230 3,370 3,620 3,870 3,890 
			 Middlesbrough 3,080 3,250 3,540 3,770 3,890 
			 Milton Keynes 3,060 3,180 3,390 3,560 3,690 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 3,130 3,260 3,570 3,780 3,890 
			 Newham 3,920 4,070 4,330 4,610 4,730 
			 Norfolk 2,900 3,020 3,260 3,410 3,490 
			 North East Lincolnshire 2,900 3,050 3,320 3,490 3,580 
			 North Lincolnshire 2,890 3,030 3,280 3,390 3,450 
			 North Somerset 2,800 2,940 3,150 3,240 3,320 
			 North Tyneside 2,800 2,920 3,210 3,380 3,520 
			 North Yorkshire 2,810 2,950 3,180 3,310 3,410 
			 Northamptonshire 2,790 2,920 3,130 3,260 3,350 
			 Northumberland 2,830 2,950 3,200 3,390 3,500 
			 Nottingham 3,200 3,380 3,670 3,870 4,020 
			 Nottinghamshire 2,780 2,900 3,140 3,250 3,340 
			 Oldham 2,910 3,080 3,320 3,480 3,650 
			 Oxfordshire 2,960 3,070 3,310 3,460 3,560 
			 Peterborough 3,010 3,180 3,390 3,520 3,660 
			 Plymouth 2,970 3,060 3,280 3,390 3,500 
			 Poole 2,790 2,880 3,050 3,180 3,300 
			 Portsmouth 3,070 3,180 3,390 3,590 3,680 
			 Reading 3,090 3,210 3,490 3,650 3,820 
			 Redbridge 3,320 3,410 3,600 3,770 3,900 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 2,890 3,020 3,310 3,540 3,620 
			 Richmond upon Thames 3,010 3,120 3,340 3,520 3,580 
			 Rochdale 2,940 3,100 3,380 3,550 3,710 
			 Rotherham 2,860 3,010 3,310 3,500 3,580 
			 Rutland 2,720 2,900 3,090 3,260 3,290 
			 Salford 2,960 3,130 3,490 3,730 3,780 
			 Sandwell 2,980 3,130 3,360 3,550 3,680 
			 Sefton 2,860 2,980 3,250 3,420 3,550 
			 Sheffield 2,930 3,100 3,420 3,590 3,660 
			 Shropshire 2,820 2,940 3,160 3,310 3,390 
			 Slough 3,560 3,700 3,930 4,140 4,300 
			 Solihull 2,700 2,800 3,000 3,130 3,210 
			 Somerset 2,810 2,940 3,170 3,300 3,370 
			 South Gloucestershire 2,680 2,810 2,990 3,090 3,200 
			 South Tyneside 2,950 3,110 3,410 3,640 3,720 
			 Southampton 3,140 3,240 3,470 3,660 3,750 
			 Southend-on-Sea 3,080 3,190 3,420 3,600 3,700 
			 Southwark 4,240 4,460 4,780 5,020 5,190 
			 St. Helens 2,850 2,960 3,230 3,460 3,570 
			 Staffordshire 2,690 2,810 3,020 3,150 3,210 
			 Stockport 2,680 2,810 3,040 3,180 3,230 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 2,830 2,990 3,300 3,520 3,620 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 2,840 2,970 3,280 3,500 3,610 
			 Suffolk 2,820 2,930 3,150 3,280 3,380 
			 Sunderland 2,900 3,020 3,310 3,510 3,610 
			 Surrey 2,970 3,070 3,270 3,430 3,510 
			 Sutton 3,170 3,270 3,450 3,630 3,760 
			 Swindon 2,790 2,890 3,100 3,210 3,270 
			 Tameside 2,780 2,920 3,160 3,350 3,450 
			 Telford and Wrekin 2,910 3,030 3,290 3,450 3,490 
			 Thurrock 3,150 3,260 3,480 3,660 3,770 
			 Torbay 2,970 3,060 3,280 3,380 3,460 
			 Tower Hamlets 4,520 4,890 5,240 5,540 5,730 
			 Trafford 2,770 2,930 3,150 3,310 3,360 
			 Wakefield 2,750 2,890 3,150 3,290 3,390 
			 Walsall 2,850 3,010 3,250 3,390 3,500 
			 Waltham Forest 3,630 3,790 4,060 4,320 4,450 
			 Wandsworth 3,960 4,150 4,430 4,630 4,710 
			 Warrington 2,710 2,810 3,010 3,150 3,230 
			 Warwickshire 2,740 2.880 3,090 3,210 3,320 
			 West Berkshire 2,880 2,980 3,230 3,400 3,500 
			 West Sussex 2,930 3,020 3,220 3,380 3,470 
			 Westminster 4,240 4,510 4,820 5,000 5,210 
			 Wigan 2,760 2,890 3,120 3,260 3,330 
			 Wiltshire 2,820 2,940 3,150 3,260 3,340 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 3,040 3,130 3,380 3,560 3,670 
			 Wirral 2,980 3,090 3,370 3,570 3,700 
			 Wokingham 2,760 2,840 3,060 3,220 3.340 
			 Wolverhampton 3,000 3,180 3,440 3,610 3,800 
			 Worcestershire 2,770 2,850 3,070 3,210 3,290 
			 York 2,760 2,890 3,130 3,240 3,310 
		
	
	
		
			 LEA name 200304 200405 200506 Percentage increase 199899 to 200506 Rank by percentage increase 
		
		
			 Barking and Dagenham 4,300 4,490 4,610 36.8 83 
			 Barnet 4,130 4,300 4,550 39.6 53 
			 Barnsley 3,730 3,840 4,010 39.7 51 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 3,410 3,570 3,750 36.4 91 
			 Bedfordshire 3,630 3,790 3,950 36.2 92 
			 Bexley 3,780 3,940 4,060 31.8 137 
			 Birmingham 4,140 4,290 4,530 43.8 9 
			 Blackburn with Darwen 4,060 4,210 4,400 43.8 10 
			 Blackpool 3,730 3,880 4,040 37.9 70 
			 Bolton 3,600 3,770 4,030 42.4 26 
			 Bournemouth 3,490 3,620 3,760 26.6 148 
			 Bracknell Forest 3,690 3,840 4,030 33.9 113 
			 Bradford 3,970 4,120 4,310 43.2 14 
			 Brent 4,780 5,000 5,190 37.3 75 
			 Brighton and Hove 3,880 4,020 4,130 31.1 142 
			 Bristol, City of 3,770 3,980 4,180 43.6 11 
			 Bromley 3,820 3,990 4,130 33.7 116 
			 Buckinghamshire 3,680 3,850 4,000 35.1 101 
			 Bury 3,480 3,670 3,840 40.7 47 
			 Calderdale 3,670 3,840 4,030 41.4 37 
			 Cambridgeshire 3,490 3,660 3,810 37.1 76 
			 Camden 5,610 5,890 6,000 37.0 79 
			 Cheshire 3,420 3,570 3,740 36.5 89 
			 Cornwall 3,570 3,720 3,870 32.5 129 
			 Coventry 3,800 3,980 4,180 38.4 63 
			 Croydon 4,060 4,270 4,400 32.9 126 
			 Cumbria 3,630 3,780 3,950 40.6 48 
			 Darlington 3,570 3,780 3,950 41.1 42 
			 Derby 3,720 3,880 4,020 36.7 84 
			 Derbyshire 3,430 3,580 3,750 37.4 74 
			 Devon 3,530 3,670 3,820 30.8 144 
			 Doncaster 3,810 3,950 4,130 41.4 35 
			 Dorset 3,470 3,620 3,750 33.0 125 
			 Dudley 3,390 3,560 3,810 41.6 32 
			 Durham 3,670 3,820 4,050 41.6 33 
			 Ealing 4,510 4,740 5,000 42.9 19 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 3,450 3,600 3,750 35.9 95 
			 East Sussex 3,700 3,880 4,020 33.6 117 
			 Enfield 4,250 4,450 4,570 35.6 98 
			 Essex 3,680 3,850 3,970 32.3 131 
			 Gateshead 3,860 3,990 4,150 42.6 23 
			 Gloucestershire 3,480 3,610 3,770 34.6 106 
			 Greenwich 5,140 5,340 5,550 40.9 45 
			 Hackney 5,850 6,060 6,310 38.4 64 
			 Halton 3,990 4,170 4,360 46.3 3 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 5,570 5,820 5,910 35.6 99 
			 Hampshire 3,470 3,620 3,730 31.8 138 
			 Haringey 5,000 5,230 5,340 38.0 67 
			 Harrow 4,050 4,230 4,440 39.2 57 
			 Hartlepool 3,840 4,010 4,220 45.5 5 
			 Havering 3,740 3,910 4,050 32.4 130 
			 Herefordshire 3,640 3,790 3,960 36.1 93 
			 Hertfordshire 3,640 3,810 3,910 30.3 145 
			 Hillingdon 3,990 4,200 4,440 37.5 72 
			 Hounslow 4,460 4,630 4,840 41.5 34 
			 Isle of Wight 3,810 3,970 4,110 31.7 139 
			 Islington 5,590 5,870 6,110 42.4 24 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 5,730 6,010 6,100 39.9 50 
			 Kent 3,710 3,900 3,990 33.0 124 
			 Kingston upon Hull, City of 3.920 4,070 4,250 41.2 41 
			 Kingston upon Thames 3,850 4,050 4,250 39.3 55 
			 Kirklees 3,700 3,880 4,060 41.0 43 
			 Knowsley 4,280 4,420 4,540 38.0 66 
			 Lambeth 5,650 5,930 6,120 31.6 140 
			 Lancashire 3,550 3,720 3,900 36.8 82 
			 Leeds 3,730 3,870 4,010 40.7 46 
			 Leicester 4,040 4,190 4,370 39.6 52 
			 Leicestershire 3,330 3,470 3,590 31.5 141 
			 Lewisham 5,300 5,510 5,740 37.0 78 
			 Lincolnshire 3,610 3,760 3,910 36.7 85 
			 Liverpool 4,250 4,420 4,540 39.3 56 
			 Luton 4,040 4,200 4,390 38.1 65 
			 Manchester 4,450 4,590 4,750 41.4 38 
			 Medway 3,630 3,790 3,910 32.1 134 
			 Merton 4,080 4,290 4,490 39.0 59 
			 Middlesbrough 4,080 4,330 4,580 48.7 1 
			 Milton Keynes 3,800 3,990 4,160 35.9 94 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 4,030 4,180 4,340 38.7 61 
			 Newham 4,850 5,040 5,230 33.4 119 
			 Norfolk 3,590 3,760 3,900 34.5 108 
			 North East Lincolnshire 3,670 3,830 4,030 39.0 60 
			 North Lincolnshire 3,610 3,750 3,950 36.7 86 
			 North Somerset 3,470 3,600 3,780 35.0 103 
			 North Tyneside 3,690 3,820 3,960 41.4 36 
			 North Yorkshire 3,550 3,690 3,840 36.7 87 
			 Northamptonshire 3,520 3,660 3,820 36.9 81 
			 Northumberland 3,640 3,800 4,000 41.3 39 
			 Nottingham 4,190 4,370 4,620 44.4 8 
			 Nottinghamshire 3,440 3,580 3,740 34.5 107 
			 Oldham 3,830 4,010 4,220 45.0 6 
			 Oxfordshire 3,650 3,810 3,940 33.1 123 
			 Peterborough 3,850 4,070 4,220 40.2 49 
			 Plymouth 3,600 3,750 3,930 32.3 132 
			 Poole 3,400 3,530 3,680 31.9 136 
			 Portsmouth 3,760 3,960 4,070 32.6 128 
			 Reading 3,970 4,200 4,410 42.7 21 
			 Redbridge 3,960 4,150 4,300 29.5 147 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 3,810 3,970 4,130 42.9 18 
			 Richmond upon Thames 3,680 3,870 4,030 33.9 113 
			 Rochdale 3,880 4,080 4,300 46.3 4 
			 Rotherham 3,770 3,880 4,030 40.9 44 
			 Rutland 3,490 3,620 3,860 41.9 30 
			 Salford 3,930 4,090 4,280 44.6 7 
			 Sandwell 3,870 4,040 4,260 43.0 17 
			 Sefton 3,720 3,860 4,040 41.3 40 
			 Sheffield 3,790 3,920 4,060 38.6 62 
			 Shropshire 3,550 3,700 3,850 36.5 88 
			 Slough 4,420 4,620 4,750 33.4 118 
			 Solihull 3,410 3,550 3,700 37.0 77 
			 Somerset 3,490 3,640 3,770 34.2 111 
			 South Gloucestershire 3,340 3,480 3,640 35.8 97 
			 South Tyneside 3,930 4,070 4,230 43.4 12 
			 Southampton 3,860 4,020 4,200 33.8 115 
			 Southend-on-Sea 3,780 3,960 4,090 32.8 127 
			 Southwark 5,350 5,600 5,900 39.2 58 
			 St. Helens 3,780 3,930 4,070 42.8 20 
			 Staffordshire 3,370 3,510 3,670 36.4 90 
			 Stockport 3,370 3,510 3,670 36.9 80 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 3,810 3,930 4,050 43.1 16 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 3,840 4,010 4,200 47.9 2 
			 Suffolk 3,460 3,620 3,760 33.3 120 
			 Sunderland 3,810 3,950 4,130 42.4 25 
			 Surrey 3,600 3,750 3,930 32.3 132 
			 Sutton 3,900 4,100 4,220 33.1 122 
			 Swindon 3,450 3,590 3,770 35.1 102 
			 Tameside 3,590 3,790 3,940 41.7 31 
			 Telford and Wrekin 3,620 3,760 3,920 34.7 105 
			 Thurrock 3,890 4,090 4,160 32.1 135 
			 Torbay 3,560 3,690 3,850 29.6 146 
			 Tower Hamlets 5,940 6,160 6,450 42.7 22 
			 Trafford 3,510 3,630 3,810 37.5 71 
			 Wakefield 3,520 3,660 3,910 42.2 29 
			 Walsall 3,640 3,820 4,080 43.2 15 
			 Waltham Forest 4,560 4,800 4,890 34.7 104 
			 Wandsworth 5,020 5,210 5,440 37.4 73 
			 Warrington 3,340 3,460 3,640 34.3 110 
			 Warwickshire 3,500 3,650 3,780 38.0 68 
			 West Berkshire 3,690 3,870 4,100 42.4 28 
			 West Sussex 3,570 3,720 3,840 31.1 143 
			 Westminster 5,450 5,660 5,760 35.8 96 
			 Wigan 3,510 3,670 3,850 39.5 54 
			 Wiltshire 3,510 3,650 3,790 34.4 109 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 3,780 3,940 4,120 35.5 100 
			 Wirral 3,830 3,970 4,110 37.9 69 
			 Wokingham 3,530 3,700 3,930 42.4 27 
			 Wolverhampton 3,940 4,100 4,300 43.3 13 
			 Worcestershire 3,390 3,530 3,690 33.2 121 
			 York 3,400 3,530 3,700 34.1 112 
		
	
	(16)Pensions not included 200304 to 200506.
	Notes:
	1.Price Base: Real terms.
	2.Figures reflect relevant sub-blocks of the education formula spending settlement and exclude the pensions transfer to EFS.
	3.Total funding also includes all revenue grants in DfES departmental expenditure limits relevant to pupils aged 319, and exclude EMAs and grants not allocated at LEA level. For those LEAs in receipt of advance of grant under the transitional support arrangements for 200405, advance grant funding is included in the year of payment (200405). There will be a consequential reduction in DfES grant for these LEAs in future years (either 200607 and 200708 or 200607 to 200809, depending on the terms on which the advance was given to the LEA).
	4.The pupil numbers used to convert m figures to per pupil are those underlying the SSA/EFS settlement calculations plus PLASC 3-year-old maintained pupils and estimated 3 to 4-year-olds funded through state support in maintained and other educational institutions where these are not included in the SSA pupil numbers.
	5.Rounding: Per pupil figures are rounded to the nearest 10. Total allocation figures are rounded to the nearest 10 million.
	6.Status: 200304 to 200506 figures are provisional as some grants have not yet been finalised/audited.

Education Funding

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much funding has been (a) spent on and (b) committed to education schemes within each growth area.

Jacqui Smith: Education is funded on a local authority basis, not by Growth Area. The table shows the amounts allocated for education since 200203 for each local education authority which includes a locality within the four Growth Areas. Growth Areas may include only part of a local education authority, therefore the figures shown in the table may not match the actual amounts spent in those areas.
	
		Education funding for Growth Areas
		
			  200203 Recurrent 200304 Recurrent 
			  SSA-EFS Grants Total SSA-EFS Grants Total 
		
		
			 London-Stansted-Cambridge-Peterborough   
			 Cambridgeshire 212.8 38.9 251.7 246.3 36.9 283.2 
			 Enfield 157.4 34.5 191.9 171.5 37.8 209.3 
			 Essex(17) 594.9 111.1 706.0 666.8 108.2 775.0 
			 Hackney 118.6 22.3 140.9 132.1 23.1 155.2 
			 Haringey 128.5 27.2 155.7 133.3 31.6 165.0 
			 Hertfordshire(18) 492.8 103.4 596.2 537.6 111.0 648.5 
			 Peterborough 84.3 21.0 105.3 95.8 21.1 116.9 
			 Redbridge 128.5 31.5 160.1 140.9 33.5 174.4 
			 Waltham Forest 127.9 24.7 152.5 137.7 27.1 164.8 
			
			 Milton Keynes South Midlands area   
			 Bedfordshire 176.0 44.1 220.0 195.5 43.2 238.7 
			 Buckinghamshire(19) 208.6 54.0 262.6 234.1 53.7 287.9 
			 Luton 101.9 16.9 118.8 113.7 17.7 131.4 
			 Milton Keynes 101.1 23.2 124.4 114.9 23.8 138.7 
			 Northamptonshire 280.5 60.2 340.7 320.8 62.2 383.0 
			
			 Ashford(20)   
			 Kent 616.2 138.3 754.5 688.0 139.1 827.1 
			
			 Thames Gateway   
			 Barking and Dagenham 96.9 19.5 116.4 106.4 24.5 130.9 
			 Bexley 119.7 22.0 141.7 126.5 25.4 151.9 
			 Essex(21) 594.9 111.1 706.0 666.8 108.2 775.0 
			 Greenwich 136.9 33.1 170.1 151.2 34.9 186.1 
			 Havering 113.1 17.7 130.8 122.7 19.4 142.1 
			 Kent(22) 616.2 138.3 754.5 688.0 139.1 827.1 
			 Lewisham 141.9 28.3 170.2 157.1 29.2 186.3 
			 Medway 129.9 29.3 159.2 141.4 29.4 170.8 
			 Newham 187.4 31.1 218.5 208.5 31.9 240.4 
			 Southend-on-Sea 78.7 17.5 96.2 86.5 18.2 104.7 
			 Thurrock 71.4 9.7 81.1 78.7 10.4 89.0 
			 Tower Hamlets 161.8 34.6 196.4 176.7 36.7 213.4 
		
	
	
		
			  200405 Recurrent 200506 Recurrent 
			  SSA-EFS Grants Total SSA-EFS Grants Total 
		
		
			 London-Stansted-Cambridge-Peterborough   
			 Cambridgeshire 263.1 41.3 304.4 280.8 43.0 323.9 
			 Enfield 183.3 42.6 225.9 193.6 44.8 238.4 
			 Essex(17) 702.0 124.9 826.9 737.7 132.8 870.5 
			 Hackney 141.0 23.9 164.9 154.1 23.7 177.8 
			 Haringey 144.6 34.6 179.2 150.3 35.4 185.7 
			 Hertfordshire(18) 564.6 128.3 692.9 589.3 135.4 724.7 
			 Peterborough 101.1 23.4 124.4 108.0 24.8 132.8 
			 Redbridge 149.9 38.0 187.9 159.8 39.5 199.3 
			 Waltham Forest 146.3 28.9 175.2 154.0 29.0 183.0 
			
			 Milton Keynes South Midlands area   
			 Bedfordshire 205.5 48.1 253.6 218.2 51.8 270.1 
			 Buckinghamshire(19) 248.1 61.0 309.1 264.4 64.4 328.9 
			 Luton 121.1 18.6 139.7 127.7 19.5 147.3 
			 Milton Keynes 125.0 27.3 152.4 134.2 29.6 163.8 
			 Northamptonshire 337.4 67.4 404.8 353.7 73.1 426.7 
			
			 Ashford(20)   
			 Kent 725.3 167.3 892.6 759.8 174.8 934.6 
			
			 Thames Gateway   
			 Barking and Dagenham 115.0 26.4 141.4 122.0 27.2 149.2 
			 Bexley 134.4 27.7 162.1 142.1 30.2 172.3 
			 Essex(21) 702.0 124.9 826.9 737.7 132.8 870.5 
			 Greenwich 160.7 37.8 198.5 170.0 38.8 208.8 
			 Havering 130.4 21.6 152.1 136.1 23.5 159.6 
			 Kent(22) 725.3 167.3 892.6 759.8 174.8 934.6 
			 Lewisham 165.2 31.7 196.9 172.6 32.1 204.8 
			 Medway 148.6 32.6 181.3 154.0 34.9 188.9 
			 Newham 219.2 34.8 254.0 232.0 36.1 268.1 
			 Southend-on-Sea 92.3 21.0 113.3 97.1 23.2 120.3 
			 Thurrock 84.1 12.9 97.0 89.6 12.5 102.0 
			 Tower Hamlets 188.9 38.6 227.5 205.0 39.7 244.7 
		
	
	
		
			  Capital 
			  200203 200304 200405 200506 
		
		
			 London-Stansted-Cambridge-Peterborough 
			 Cambridgeshire 27.974 38.682 33.212 31.292 
			 Enfield 21.976 69.375 19.537 13.085 
			 Essex(17) 84.492 63.462 63.202 55.62 
			 Hackney 9.194 11.47 13.356 7.739 
			 Haringey 18.657 23.672 20.708 20.334 
			 Hertfordshire(18) 47.413 43.353 60.759 63.787 
			 Peterborough 7.7 13.297 68.781 16.579 
			 Redbridge 10.376 13.084 16.768 20.789 
			 Waltham Forest 66.949 10.364 10.26 10.752 
			  
			 Milton Keynes South Midlands area 
			 Bedfordshire 18.638 18.359 20.621 16.25 
			 Buckinghamshire(19) 20.627 27.46 26.443 21.055 
			 Luton 7.496 11.734 10.056 6.448 
			 Milton Keynes 20.267 29.083 39.116 30.831 
			 Northamptonshire 56.011 130.466 36.015 25.035 
			  
			 Ashford(20) 
			 Kent 72,951 92,848 181,101 90,483 
			  
			 Thames Gateway 
			 Barking and Dagenham 40.96 5.852 7.395 10.129 
			 Bexley 47.689 23.749 16.812 12.54 
			 Essex(21) 84.492 63.462 63.202 55.62 
			 Greenwich 11.069 9.051 16.361 13.074 
			 Havering 9.984 11.506 11.327 8.299 
			 Kent(22) 72.951 92.848 181.101 90.483 
			 Lewisham 76.426 16.601 15.07 16.571 
			 Medway 15.777 17.452 21.793 18.983 
			 Newham 15.665 50.66 16.028 17.193 
			 Southend-on-Sea 7.314 9.907 13.793 7.799 
			 Thurrock 6.176 11.007 13.289 8.904 
			 Tower Hamlets 12.911 8.912 8.586 7.942 
		
	
	(17)Only Epping Forest, Uttlesford, Braintree, and Harlow are part of the Growth Area.
	(18)Only Broxbourne, East Hertfordshire, North Hertfordshire, and Stevenage are part of the Growth Area.
	(19)Only Aylesbury Vale is part of the Growth Area.
	(20)The Growth Area only covers Ashford.
	(21)Only Basildon, Castle Point and Rochford are part of the Growth Area.
	(22)Only Dartford, Gravesham and Swale are part of the Growth Area.
	Notes:
	Recurrent:
	Cash Terms. Figures from 200304 include the pensions transfer to EFS and LSC, the 200203 figures have not been adjusted.
	Figures reflect relevant sub-blocks of education Standard Spending Assessment (SSA)/Education Formula Spending (EFS) settlements. Cash figures from 200304 include the pensions transfer to EFS and LSC, the figures prior to 200203 have not been adjusted.
	Total funding also includes all revenue grants in DfES Departmental Expenditure Limits relevant to pupils aged 319 and exclude EMAs and grants not allocated at LEA level. For those LEAs in receipt of advance of grant under the transitional support arrangements for 200405, advance grant funding is included in the year of payment (200405). There will be a consequential reduction in DfES grant for these LEAs in future years (either 200607 and 200708 or 20067 to 20089, depending on the terms on which the advance was given to the LEA).
	Where responsibility for funding a school has transferred from an LEA, related funding no longer appears in the series.
	Rounding: Figures are rounded to the nearest 0.1 million.
	Status: 200304 to 200506 figures are provisional as some grants have not yet been finalised/audited.
	Capital
	The figures represent all capital funding streams, including grant, Private Finance Initiative and supported borrowing in respect of capital.

Education (Milton Keynes)

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many children of school age in Milton Keynes are not attending either a state or independent school.

Jacqui Smith: The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		Pupils educated otherwise than at school under arrangements made by the local education authority(23)as at January 2005
		
			   England Milton Keynes local education authority 
		
		
			 Pupils in hospital(24) 243 0 
			 Other pupils not in school(25) 16,741 197 
			 Total pupils not in school 16,984 197 
		
	
	(23)Pupils of compulsory school age (515) as at 31 August 2004.
	(24)Includes non-statemented pupils in hospital excluding pupils in maintained general hospital or special hospital schools.
	(25)Includes other pupils not in school e.g. pupils taught at home, Traveller children, asylum seekers at FE colleges or with voluntary sector providers.
	Source:
	8B Survey

Education (Milton Keynes)

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many (a) full-time teachers, (b) full-time equivalent teachers and (c) full-time equivalent teaching assistants there were in Milton Keynes in (i) 1985 and (ii) the last year for which figures are available.

Jacqui Smith: In January 2004, the latest year available, there were 1,870 full-time and 2,040 full-time equivalent number of full and part-time regular teachers and 530 full-time equivalent number of teaching assistants in service in Milton Keynes local education authority. This information is not available for 1985. Milton Keynes local education authority was created in April 1997. In January 1998 the earliest information available there were 1,620 full-time, 1,730 full-time equivalent and 260 full-time equivalent number of teaching assistants in service in the authority.

Emergency Contraception

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  what measures are in place to ensure that girls aged under 16 years are properly supervised when taking emergency contraception
	(2)  if she will list the schools in Southend that allow emergency contraception to be distributed to children at that school without parental knowledge or consent;
	(3)  how many times school nurses in Southend have issued emergency contraception in each of the last five years for which figures are available;
	(4)  how many girls in Southend have been given emergency contraception by school nurses in each of the last five years for which figures are available, broken down by the age of the girl;
	(5)  what guidance she has given to schools regarding the potential liability of (a) school governors, (b) teachers, (c) head teachers and (d) other school staff in the event of possible adverse consequences following emergency contraception being provided to girls under the age of 16 years by school staff or on school premises without the consent of parents;
	(6)  what guidance she has given schools regarding the possible adverse consequences of emergency contraception being provided to girls under the age of 16years by school staff or on school premises.

Beverley Hughes: Provision of emergency contraception is always by a health professional under medical supervision. This includes community and school nurses and community pharmacists, working to Patient Group Directions (a written instruction for thesupply or administration of medicines to groups of patients without an individualised doctor's prescription). Emergency contraception cannot be provided by non-health professionals.
	Health professionals can provide contraception to young people aged under 16 provided they are satisfied that the young person is competent to understand fully the implications of any treatment and to make a choice of the treatment involved. Health professionals work within an established legal framework which involves assessing the young person's competence to understand the choices they are making and encouraging them to talk to their parents.
	The decision on whether to provide school-based health advice services and the scope of the service is for each individual governing body, in consultation with parents, teachers and the wider school community. There is no requirement on schools to provide data for central collection.

Employer Training

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  what proportion of the employer training pilots were delivered successfully by the (a) private and (b) public sectors;
	(2)  whether contracts for the national employer training programme will be open to providers from the (a) private and (b) public sectors; and whether part of the budget will be ring-fenced for public sector providers;
	(3)  if she will make a statement on the relative emphasis of the employer training pilots between (a) increasing the number of employees with NVQ qualifications and (b) ensuring that employees meet a skills demand.

Phil Hope: Figures provided by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) show that as of July 2005, 31 per cent. of learners participating in employer training pilots have their learning delivered by colleges of further education and 69 per cent. delivered by independent providers.
	As we announced in our White Paper, Skills: Getting on in business, getting on at work, the national employer training programme (NETP) will offer employers informed choice between quality-assured training providers. This is an essential part of putting the employer in a position where, in effect, they are able to make the purchasing decision about what training they get. Brokers, acting on behalf of the employer, will be able to source training from any LSC-approved provider, whether colleges or other providers.
	We are continuing to work closely with the LSC on the details of NETP funding and how it will be allocated to providers in the context of agenda for change. We cannot give precise details about allocations to providers until this work is complete.
	The emphasis of employer training pilots (ETPs) has been to encourage employers to invest in skills and qualifications, particularly for low skilled trainees. They are testing out a package of public financial support measures to improve access to training and enable employees to attain Skills for Life and/or their first full NVQ level 2 qualification.
	At the end of June 2005, the pilots had signed up 23,101 employers and 184,198 employees, and 68,902 learners had successfully completed their learning.
	As with the pilots, the core of the national employer training programme will be free, high quality training for employees who lack basic skills in literacy, language and numeracy or a first full Level 2 qualification. Beyond that core of free training up to Level 2, employers will be able to access more comprehensive training packages to meet their wider needs, including at Level 3 and higher, and non-qualification based training. As part of the partnership between Government and the employer in raising investment in skills, we will look to employers to pay a fair contribution towards the cost of this wider training.

Language Learning

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many primary schools in Southend offered language learning opportunities in each of the last five years; and in which languages.

Jacqui Smith: This information is not part of the Department's statutory annual data collection. However, research carried out for the DFES in 200203 showed that 44 per cent. of schools teaching pupils aged seven to 11 offered some form of language learning, 35 per cent. of which took place in curriculum time. This is up from 21 per cent. of schools offering some form of language learning in 2000, and we expect that number will have increased again significantly last year. Our research showed that French is the language most commonly taught, followed by Spanish, German and Italian. 28 LEAs reported other languages being taught. We know from our key stage 2 language Pathfinders that a wide range of languages are now being taught at primary schools, including community and other world languages.

Management Consultants

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what her Department's total spending on management consultants has been in each of the last three years.

Bill Rammell: The Department for Education and Skills spent the following sums from administration costs for the periods in question4.0 million in 200203; 4.7 million in 200304 and 3.9 million in 200405. The total cost of consultants charged to programmes from November to March 200405 was 4.4 million. The cost charged to programmes before November 2004 was not recorded centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. These figures relate to all forms of consultancy. Figures for management consultants could be extracted only at disproportionate cost.

Mathematics

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the answer of 11 July 2005, Official Report, column 841W, on mathematics, how many pupils sat GCSE AS level examinations in mathematics in each year since 1995.

Jacqui Smith: The following table gives the number of GCE Advanced Subsidiary and Advanced Supplementary mathematics candidates aged 1618 in all schools and colleges 1994/95 to 2003/04.
	
		
			   Advanced subsidiary Advanced supplementary 
		
		
			 2003/04 52,649  
			 2002/03 58,045  
			 2001/02 58,155  
			 2000/01 52,091 8,704 
			 1999/2000  11,839 
			 1998/99  11,826 
			 1997/98  11,849 
			 1996/97  11,302 
			 1995/96  11,585 
			 1994/95  8,003 
		
	
	The Advanced Supplementary examination was discontinued as part of the Qualifying for Success reforms.

Mathematics

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the answer of 4 July 2005, Official Report, column 175W, on approved qualifications, how many pupils were entered for each Level 3 qualification classified within the subject sector category Mathematics and Statistics in 200304.

Jacqui Smith: The number of pupils entered for Mathematics and Statistics GCE A and AS Levels in 2003/04 were as follows.
	
		
			  Edexcel OCR AQA WJEC 
		
		
			 GCE A Level entries for 16 to 18-year-old students 
			 Mathematics 19,672 18,200 7,383 69 
			 Mathematics (Pure) 58 7 64 0 
			 Mathematics (Statistics) 44 0 483 0 
			 Mathematics (Further) 2,300 2,113 694 4 
			 Additional Mathematics 0 37 0 0 
			 Total 22,074 20,357 8,624 73 
			  
			 GCE AS Level entries for 16 to 18-year-old students 
			 Mathematics 4,961 3,944 9,041 23 
			 Mathematics (Mechanics) 238 52 0 0 
			 Mathematics (Pure) 373 54 80 0 
			 Mathematics (Discrete) 22 7 0 0 
			 Mathematics (Applied) 15,569 14,378 278 61 
			 Mathematics (Statistics) 639 396 864 0 
			 Mathematics (Further) 905 1,017 632 1 
			 Additional Mathematics 0 57 0 0 
			 Total 22,707 19,905 10,895 85

Mathematics

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many mathematics graduates entered the teaching profession in each year since 1975; and how many left in the same period.

Jacqui Smith: The following table gives the number of teachers gaining qualified teacher status in secondary post graduate mathematics, identifying those who have mathematics named as the subject of their first degree, and the numbers who reported that they had entered teaching service straight away. This information is not available prior to 1998/99.
	No information is available for the number of mathematics graduate teachers leaving service.
	
		Teachers successfully completing postgraduateinitial teacher training (ITT) in mathematics
		
			  Secondary(26)post-graduate(27)maths ITT completers 
			  All completers(28) With maths degree(29) 
			  Total Entered service(30) Total Entered service(30) 
		
		
			 1998/99 780 680 400 360 
			 1999/2000 920 760 480 410 
			 2000/01 860 750 450 390 
			 2001/02 970 840 450 400 
			 2002/03 1,140 920 520 420 
			 2003/04(31) 1,420 1,200 670 590 
		
	
	(26)Secondary ITT completers include those qualifying at key stage 2/3.
	(27)Figures exclude teachers attaining qualified teacher status through undergraduate and employment based routes, (EBR) but include School Centred Initial Teacher Training (SCITTs). Limited information is available for those attaining ITT through EBR from 2001/02 and show that of those qualifying in secondary maths 130 had a maths degree in 2001/02, 250 in 2002/03 and 320 in 2003/04. The employment status of these teachers is unknown.
	(28)A large proportion of mathematics ITT completers without a first degree in the subject have a degree in a related subject or a degree where mathematics was a significant element of their course.
	(29)Some mathematics graduates may complete their ITT in other subjects. These have not been included.
	(30)Those teachers who reported that they were in teaching service within 6 months of completion of ITT.
	(31)Full 2003/04 ITT performance profiles information is due to be published on 22 July 2005 by the TTA.
	Note:
	Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.
	Source:
	Teacher Training Agency, (TTA) Performance Profiles.

Protected Teacher Preparation Time

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  what representation her Department has received about the adequacy of the resources allocated to implement the requirements for protected teacher preparation time;
	(2)  what assessment has been made of the adequacy of the resources allocated to implement the requirements for protected teacher preparation time.

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what representations she has received about the effect of school work force reform on funding arrangements for schools in Kent; and if she will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: Last year we worked with a balanced sample of six LEAs and about a dozen schools in each to assess the costs of implementing PPA time. It was as a result of that work that the minimum funding guarantee was set at 5 per cent. for primary and nursery schools and 4 per cent. for secondary and special schools. The funding settlement was welcomed by members of the Workforce Agreement Monitoring Group, including all representatives of head teachers.
	We receive representations from time to time on various issues related to work force reform. Work force reform is about ensuring that teachers are able to spend more time on their core professional responsibilities that means that it represents good news for pupils and parents. The view of all the signatories to the national agreement on work force reform is that there is enough money in the system for all schools to implement this reform in full.
	The signatories to the national agreement are: Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL), Department for Education and Skills (DfES), GMB, National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT), National Employers Organisation for School Teachers (NEOST), Professional Association of Teachers (PAT), Secondary Heads Association (SHA), the Transport and General Workers Union (TGWU), UNISON and the Welsh Assembly Government.

Pupil Exclusions

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many permanent and fixed exclusions were made from pupil referral units in each local education authority for (a) 200102, (b) 200203 and (c) 200304.

Jacqui Smith: Information on exclusions made from pupil referral units was collected for the first time in summer 2003 and so is not available for 200102 and 200203.
	Information on the number of permanent and fixed period exclusions from pupil referral units in 200304 is shown in the following table.
	
		Pupil referral units: Number of fixed period and permanent exclusions 200304by local education authority area, by Government Office region in England.
		
			   Number of permanent exclusions(32) Number of fixed period exclusions Number of pupils with one or episodes of fixed period exclusion Number of pupil referral units in authority 
		
		
			  England 35 5,780 2,880 426 
			   
			  North East 5 500 250 20 
			 841 Darlington 0 15 9 1 
			 840 Durham 0 5 5 1 
			 390 Gateshead * 76 43 1 
			 805 Hartlepool 0 35 23 1 
			 806 Middlesbrough * 97 35 4 
			 391 Newcastle upon Tyne 0 * * 1 
			 392 North Tyneside 0 38 19 4 
			 929 Northumberland * 5 3 1 
			 807 Redcar and Cleveland 0 5 4 1 
			 393 South Tyneside 0 146 68 2 
			 808 Stockton-on-Tees * 66 33 2 
			 394 Sunderland 0 6 5 1 
			   
			  North West * 930 470 67 
			 889 Blackburn with Darwen 0 * * 2 
			 890 Blackpool 0 * * 1 
			 350 Bolton 0 25 20 11 
			 351 Bury 0 32 21 2 
			 875 Cheshire (33) (33) (33) 0 
			 909 Cumbria 0 50 29 3 
			 876 Halton * 96 22 2 
			 340 Knowsley 0 27 8 2 
			 888 Lancashire 0 426 205 16 
			 341 Liverpool 0 0 0 1 
			 352 Manchester 0 6 * 4 
			 353 Oldham (33) (33) (33) 0 
			 354 Rochdale 0 89 50 1 
			 355 Salford 0 0 0 4 
			 343 Sefton 0 32 18 3 
			 342 St. Helens 0 4 4 2 
			 356 Stockport 0 27 19 3 
			 357 Tameside 0 0 0 3 
			 358 Trafford 0 0 0 2 
			 877 Warrington 0 4 4 1 
			 359 Wigan 0 62 27 3 
			 344 Wirral 0 27 23 1 
			   
			  Yorkshire and The Humber 5 810 370 43 
			 370 Barnsley 0 25 20 2 
			 380 Bradford 0 132 69 4 
			 381 Calderdale 0 38 21 1 
			 371 Doncaster * 57 42 6 
			 811 East Riding of Yorkshire 0 * * 2 
			 810 Kingston Upon Hull, City of * 176 48 5 
			 382 Kirklees 0 45 28 2 
			 383 Leeds 0 81 43 4 
			 812 North East Lincolnshire 0 9 9 3 
			 813 North Lincolnshire 0 41 12 2 
			 815 North Yorkshire 0 * * 2 
			 372 Rotherham 0 8 8 3 
			 373 Sheffield 0 129 43 3 
			 384 Wakefield * 64 25 2 
			 816 York 0 * * 2 
			   
			  East Midlands * 430 180 29 
			 831 Derby 0 203 87 1 
			 830 Derbyshire * 163 51 6 
			 856 Leicester 0 0 0 3 
			 855 Leicestershire 0 0 0 3 
			 925 Lincolnshire 0 * * 5 
			 928 Northamptonshire 0 0 0 4 
			 892 Nottingham * 42 27 3 
			 891 Nottinghamshire 0 20 16 4 
			 857 Rutland (33) (33) (33) 0 
			   
			  West Midlands 0 430 270 51 
			 330 Birmingham 0 29 22 3 
			 331 Coventry 0 8 8 4 
			 332 Dudley 0 59 25 3 
			 884 Herefordshire 0 9 8 3 
			 333 Sandwell 0 96 55 5 
			 893 Shropshire 0 0 0 1 
			 334 Solihull 0 15 13 3 
			 860 Staffordshire 0 * * 5 
			 861 Stoke-on-Trent 0 0 0 3 
			 894 Telford and Wrekin 0 0 0 4 
			 335 Walsall 0 8 6 3 
			 937 Warwickshire 0 62 38 1 
			 336 Wolverhampton 0 39 25 4 
			 885 Worcestershire 0 104 68 9 
			   
			  East of England * 270 150 37 
			 820 Bedfordshire 0 14 13 1 
			 873 Cambridgeshire 0 80 49 5 
			 881 Essex 0 0 0 6 
			 919 Hertfordshire 0 * * 8 
			 821 Luton 0 9 8 2 
			 926 Norfolk 0 43 24 4 
			 874 Peterborough 0 6 5 1 
			 882 Southend-on-Sea 0 39 18 1 
			 935 Suffolk * 68 31 8 
			 883 Thurrock 0 5 4 1 
			  London 10 1,100 530 69 
			  Inner London 5 860 380 27 
			 202 Camden 0 44 32 2 
			 201 City of London (33) (33) (33) 0 
			 204 Hackney 0 64 28 2 
			 205 Hammersmith and Fulham 0 43 38 2 
			 309 Haringey 0 163 67 1 
			 206 Islington 0 285 72 5 
			 207 Kensington and Chelsea 0 9 7 1 
			 208 Lambeth * 0 0 3 
			 209 Lewisham 0 119 76 3 
			 316 Newham 0 0 0 1 
			 210 Southwark * 125 53 3 
			 211 Tower Hamlets 0 0 0 1 
			 212 Wandsworth 0 * * 2 
			 213 Westminster 0 7 5 1 
			   
			  Outer London 5 240 150 42 
			 301 Barking and Dagenham 0 0 0 1 
			 302 Barnet 0 0 0 2 
			 303 Bexley 0 8 6 2 
			 304 Brent 0 35 24 6 
			 305 Bromley 0 26 17 2 
			 306 Croydon * 39 31 5 
			 307 Ealing 0 29 23 2 
			 308 Enfield 0 0 0 3 
			 203 Greenwich 0 0 0 2 
			 310 Harrow 0 0 0 1 
			 311 Havering 0 0 0 3 
			 312 Hillingdon 0 * * 1 
			 313 Hounslow 0 14 10 4 
			 314 Kingston upon Thames 0 * * 2 
			 315 Merton 0 * * 1 
			 317 Redbridge * * * 2 
			 318 Richmond upon Thames 0 0 0 1 
			 319 Sutton 0 21 17 1 
			 320 Waltham Forest * 57 15 1 
			   
			  South East 10 1,060 470 70 
			 867 Bracknell Forest 0 0 0 2 
			 846 Brighton and Hove (33) (33) (33) 0 
			 825 Buckinghamshire 0 9 5 5 
			 845 East Sussex 0 41 20 2 
			 850 Hampshire 0 367 168 7 
			 921 Isle of Wight 0 12 10 2 
			 886 Kent 5 19 15 10 
			 887 Medway * 33 11 4 
			 826 Milton Keynes 0 12 9 4 
			 931 Oxfordshire 0 0 0 1 
			 851 Portsmouth 0 113 39 4 
			 870 Reading 0 34 24 3 
			 871 Slough 0 0 0 3 
			 852 Southampton 0 50 28 2 
			 936 Surrey 0 225 74 11 
			 869 West Berkshire * 36 18 5 
			 938 West Sussex 0 74 35 2 
			 868 Windsor and Maidenhead 0 31 11 2 
			 872 Wokingham * 0 0 1 
			   
			  South West * 260 170 40 
			 800 Bath and North East Somerset 0 32 20 1 
			 837 Bournemouth * 15 11 1 
			 801 Bristol, City of 0 0 0 5 
			 908 Cornwall (33) (33) (33) 0 
			 878 Devon 0 42 23 6 
			 835 Dorset 0 0 0 5 
			 916 Gloucestershire * 12 8 4 
			 420 Isles of Scilly (33) (33) (33) 0 
			 802 North Somerset 0 * * 3 
			 879 Plymouth 0 22 21 3 
			 836 Poole 0 8 5 1 
			 933 Somerset 0 52 25 7 
			 803 South Gloucestershire 0 6 6 1 
			 866 Swindon 0 20 14 1 
			 880 Torbay (33) (33) (33) 1 
			 865 Wiltshire 0 11 11 1 
		
	
	* = 3 or less or a rate based on 3 or less
	(32)National totals, regional totals and totals across school types have been rounded to the nearest 10 for fixed period exclusions and to the nearest 5 for permanent exclusions.
	(33)No pupil referral units in LEA.

School Building Maintenance

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what estimate has been made of the requirement for school building maintenance for (a) primary, (b) secondary and (c) other schools in North East Milton Keynes constituency in the last five years, expressed at current prices.

Jacqui Smith: Data on school buildings maintenance need has been supplied to the Department twice; firstly in 200001 and secondly in 2003. For primary, secondary and other schools in North East Milton Keynes, the 200001 data showed 4,014,000, 5,114,000 and 2,465,000 respectively. The 2003 data showed 2,920,000, 3,938,000 and 1,422,000 respectively. Costs have been updated to current costs. In addition to backlog repair work, the figures cover work needed over a five-year period from the dates of the assessments, including cyclical and scheduled maintenance.
	Central Government capital support for investment in schools has increased from under 700 million in 199697 to 5.5 billion this year and will rise further to 6.3 billion by 200708. Progress is being made year-by-year in improving the quality of the school building stock.

Secondary School Places

David Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many places were available in (a) wholly selective and (b) partially selective secondary schools in England in each year since 1997; and how many applications for these places there were in each year.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 18 July 2005
	The available information on school places is shown in table 1. The capacity figures are taken from the surplus places survey. The survey does not identify selective and non-selective schools. There is no data available for 2002 as the survey was not carried out in this year. 2005 data is currently being collected from local education authorities.
	Information showing the number of pupils in wholly selective (grammar) schools and other maintained secondary schools is provided table 2. The Department does not hold information on schools that are partially selective.
	
		Table 1: Maintained secondary schools:Capacity figuresEngland
		
			  Capacity 
		
		
			 1997(34) 3,271,363 
			 1998(34) 3,025,527 
			 1999(34) 3,341,929 
			 2000(34) 3,354,301 
			 2001(34) 3,356,438 
			 2002 n/a 
			 2003(35) 3,455,993 
			 2004(35) 3,468,561 
			 2005 n/a 
		
	
	n/a = not available.
	(34)1997 to 2001 capacity figures calculated using more open enrolment formula.
	(35)2002 to 2004 capacity figures calculated using net capacity measure.
	Source:
	Surplus Places Survey
	
		Table 2: Maintained secondary schools: number (headcount) of pupils in grammar schools and other secondary schoolsEngland
		
			  Maintained secondary schools 
			 Position as at January each year Grammar schools(36) Other secondary schools(37) Total 
		
		
			 1997 128,710 2,912,870 3,041,580 
			 1998 130,320 2,942,510 3,072,820 
			 1999 140,880 2,981,020 3,121,900 
			 2000 145,280 3,036,540 3,181,810 
			 2001 146,540 3,085,290 3,231,830 
			 2002 148,560 3,115,530 3,264,090 
			 2003 150,750 3,157,280 3,308,030 
			 2004 152,610 3,172,340 3,324,950 
			 2005 (38) 154,070 3,158,100 3,312,160 
		
	
	(36)Grammar schools were designated by Order in 1999, prior to that schools designated themselves in returns to the Department.
	(37)Includes middle schools as deemed.
	(38)Provisional.
	Note:
	Totals may not appear to equal the sum of the component parts because numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10.
	Source:
	Annual Schools' Census
	Information on the number of applications for places in schools is not collected centrally.

Television

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment she has made of the impact of excessive television watching on children's learning progress; and what representations she has received on this subject.

Beverley Hughes: The Department has not assessed the impact of excessive television watching on children's learning progress. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State, has not had any meetings on this issue. However, current international research evidence points to the following:
	Watching good quality educational programming in the early years can benefit children's language development, in the right conditions.
	Conversely, extensive viewing of age-inappropriate or entertainment programming can hinder language development.
	In addition, television viewing before age 3 has been shown to have a modest adverse effect on cognitive outcomes at age 6 and 7.
	Increased television viewing by children has a long-lasting association with a higher chance of having no formal qualifications by the age of 26.
	Other learning activities such as reading may be displaced by television viewing.
	Having a television in the bedroom is negatively associated with test scores for children aged 8.
	The American Academy of Paediatrics recommends that children watch a maximum of 2 hours of quality programming per day. The National Literacy Trust's Talk To Your Baby campaign recommends no more than half-an-hour for under 2s, and one hour for 35 year olds.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Sudan

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether the G8 countries have reached agreement on the prosecution of war criminals from Darfur by the International Criminal Court.

Ian Pearson: I have been asked to reply.
	United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1593 of 31 Marchsponsored by the UKreferred the situation in Darfur to the International Criminal Court (ICC). The ICC Prosecutor announced his intention to launch a formal investigation into Darfur on 6 June. At the G8 Summit on 68 July, G8 leaders called on the Government of Sudan to comply with UNSCR 1593 which places a legal obligation on Sudan to co-operate with the ICC. They also called for the Government of Sudan to apprehend and bring to justice those responsible for violations of human rights; and to disarm the Janjaweed and other militias.

CABINET OFFICE

GM Crops

Michael Meacher: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what contingency plans the Government have in place to deal with contamination, either by accident or by terrorist action, of imported food and animal feed with potentially harmful biopharmaceutical GM crops.

Caroline Flint: I have been asked to reply.
	Imported food and animal feed are subject to checks carried out on the basis of risk assessment by local port health authorities at the point of entry into the United Kingdom. Routine checks are carried out to screen for the presence of genetically modified materials in feed.
	Statutory powers exist under general food law and under the Food and Environment Protection Act (1985) to remove contaminated products from the market or to restrict the movement of products from a designated area.

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Correspondence

Paul Burstow: To ask the Leader of the House how many letters to his Office from hon. Members in session (a) 200405 and (b) 200506 remain unanswered, broken down by those which are (i) one month old, (ii)two months old, (iii) three months old, (iv) four months old and (v) over six months old.

Geoff Hoon: No letters to my Office from hon. Members for the session 200405 remain unanswered, and 94 per cent. of letters requiring a reply were answered within our target of 15 working days.
	For the current session 10 letters remain unanswered which are under one month old. We expect to answer these within our 15 working day target.

Parliamentary Questions

Norman Baker: To ask the Leader of the House if he will make representations to the Procedure Committee to examine changing the rules of the House to allow written parliamentary questions to be tabled and answered in recesses within the same guidelines which apply when the House is sitting.

Geoff Hoon: I have no current plans to propose changes to long-established practice in this respect.

Parliamentary Questions

Paul Burstow: To ask the Leader of the House what systems his Office has put in place to monitor the length of time taken by each Government Department to answer individual parliamentary questions.

Geoff Hoon: My Office takes an active role in encouraging good practice among Departments in answering parliamentary questions, and co-operates closely with the Cabinet Office in ensuring that appropriate and up-to-date guidance is available.
	Ministers are responsible for ensuring that they respond to parliamentary questions in a timely manner. Ordinary written questions should be answered within five days and named day questions on the day named.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Advertising Costs

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much the (a) Department and (b) non-departmental bodies for which the Department is responsible has spent on advertising, broken down by media type in the last three years.

Richard Caborn: A breakdown of the Department's spend on advertising over the past three years broken down by media type is as follows:
	
		
			  Campaign Media type  
		
		
			 200304 BBC Charter review Press 4,855 
			  BBC Charter review Radio 16,132 
			  
			 200405 BBC Charter review Press 37,085 
			  
			 200506 Licensing Press 29,422 
			  1st phase   
			  Licensing Press (39)100,000 
			  2nd phase   
		
	
	(39)Estimated.
	The amount spent on advertising by our non-departmental bodies over this period can be answered only at disproportionate cost.

Audio Recordings

James McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans she has to increase the duration of copyright on audio recordings to 100 years; and if she will make a statement.

Alan Johnson: holding answer 19 July 2005
	I have been asked to reply.
	I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Maldon and East Chelmsford (Mr.Whittingdale) on 27 June 2005, Official Report, column 1228W.

Awards for All Grants

Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which community organisations in Paisley and Renfrewshire North have received awards for all grants since 1999.

Richard Caborn: Data regarding the new constituency boundaries in Scotland are not yet available to the Department. As soon as it becomes available I shall write to my hon. Friend the Member for Paisley and Renfrewshire North with the information requested and place copies in the Libraries of both Houses.

BBC

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent representations she has received about effects on the coverage of parliamentary affairs of changes in job numbers at the BBC.

James Purnell: I have not received any representations about the effects of the BBC's value for money plans on its coverage of parliamentary affairs. However, I understand that the BBC does not expect its plans to adversely affect its parliamentary coverage.

Best Practice Guidance for Tourism

Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations she has received from industry on the draft best practice guidance for tourism.

James Purnell: My Department has actively sought representations from the tourism, attractions, and hospitality sectors, on the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's, planning for tourism, good practice guidance. These representations have been made through the tourism review and implementation group which I chair.
	Following our engagement, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has recently indicated that it will re-work the guidance over the summer taking into account industry views.

Bike Trails

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps her Department is taking to encourage tourists to visit mountain bike trail sites.

James Purnell: My Department supports the English and British tourism sector through VisitBritain. VisitBritain regularly highlights Britain's off-road cycling facilities to all tourists through its promotional materials and campaigns. Mountain biking features strongly in VisitBritain's new Outdoor England campaign, which encourages domestic tourists to take advantage of Britain's countryside offer. Further information can be found on the website www.enjoyengland/outdoor.

Canoeing

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps she is taking to promote the sport of canoeing in England and Wales.

Richard Caborn: The Government, though Sport England, is playing a key role in promoting canoeing by its continued investment in the sport. Also, Sport England, Defra and its agencies, are continuing to work with the British Canoe Union, the sport's National Governing Body, to promote canoeing and have put in place a number of measures to increase both the profile of the sport and improve the opportunities for people to participate.
	These include Defra commissioning four demonstration projects to develop and pilot best practice for access agreements for canoeists on key stretches of water in England and Ministers from both DCMS and Defra writing to members of local access forums throughout England inviting their views on improving recreational access for sport and recreational activities such as canoeing.

Casinos

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the merits of including the north east of England in the regional casino pilot study.

Richard Caborn: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is currently establishing an independent casino advisory panel to assist her in the exercise of her order making powers under section 175(4) of the Gambling Act 2005 to determine the geographical distribution of the new casino premises licences. The casino advisory panel will consider submissions from local authorities wishing to issue premises licences for regional, large or small casinos. Any local authority in the north east that wants to, will have the opportunity to put its case to the panel in due course.

Casinos

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she expects to decide on the location of the regional casino pilot; and what the relationship is between the regional spatial strategies of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and decisions on regional casino pilots.

Richard Caborn: The regional planning bodies, as part of their revision of regional spatial strategies, will need to identify a list of possible broad locations for regional casinos in their region. The primary requirement for the advisory panel is to ensure that the locations chosen are suitable for testing the social impact of the new style casinos. Subject to that, the Secretary of State will expect the casino advisory panel to ensure that its recommendations are compatible with the broad locations identified in the regional spatial strategies.
	The panel is expected to complete its work towards the end of 2006. The current intention is that the Secretary of State will bring an order before Parliament determining the geographical distribution of casino premises licences during the first half of 2007. The order will be subject to the affirmative resolution procedure.

Casinos

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what research her Department has conducted on the regeneration impact of regional casinos; and what assessment she has made of in which region the impact would be greatest.

Richard Caborn: One of the criteria that the casino advisory panel will consider in finalising its recommendations to the Secretary of State is the need to include areas in need of regeneration (as measured by employment and other social deprivation data) and which are likely to benefit in these terms from a new casino.

Casinos

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what issues she will consider when making her assessment of the regional casino pilot.

Richard Caborn: We will principally want to consider, with the advice of the Gambling Commission, whether the introduction of the new regional, large and small casinos has led to an increase in problem gambling or is increasing that risk. We will also want to assess what the regeneration and other economic outcomes have been.

Casinos

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the range of different types of location of casinos that need to be considered in undertaking a trial of the potential advantages and disadvantages of regional casinos.

Richard Caborn: We will ask the independent casino advisory panel, when recommending areas for new casinos, to identify those which will provide a good range of types of areas, and a good geographical spread. The types of location might, for example, include urban centres and seaside resorts which need regeneration.

Casinos

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions she has held with the Gambling Commission concerning the Commission's duty to advise the Government on the effect on problem gambling of the introduction of new types of casinos; and what advice she has received regarding the suitability of the single regional casino pilot for an assessment of the effect of such casinos on problem gambling.

Richard Caborn: Officials are in regular contact with the Gaming Board of Great Britain, who are developing plans for the establishment and operation of the Gambling Commission. These plans will reflect the Commission's duty to advise the Secretary of State about the effects of gambling generally, and my right hon. Friend's specific request for advice on whether the introduction of new types of casinos has led to an increase in problem gambling or is increasing that risk.

Casinos

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the evidential basis is for her policy of testing the regional casino idea with a single pilot study.

Richard Caborn: The Government have made it clear that they wish to take a cautious approach to the development of new casinos, in order to assess whether their introduction leads to an increase in problem gambling. The decision to reduce the number of regional casinos permitted by the Gambling Act 2005 from eight to one was consistent with this cautious approach. But we have not ruled out the possibility of asking Parliament to agree to a larger number if further evidence is needed for the purposes of a more reliable final assessment.

Correspondence

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what her Department's policy is for dealing with and responding to correspondence received in (a) Welsh, (b) Scots Gaelic and (c) Irish Gaelic.

Tessa Jowell: My Department's policy when correspondence is received in Welsh, Scots Gaelic and Irish Gaelic is to first ask for a translation of the letter, and then respond both in original format and English (if requested).

Departmental Expenditure

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much the Department spent on advertising in each of the last five years.

Richard Caborn: The Department had a zero spend on advertising in 200102, and 200203. The expenditure on advertising for the past three years is as follows:
	
		
			  Spend () 
		
		
			 200304 20,987 
			 200405 37,085 
			 200506 (40)129,422 
		
	
	(40) estimated

Departmental Expenditure

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much the Department spent on organising or sponsoring conferences in each of the last five years.

Richard Caborn: Only press conferences and exhibitions are organised centrally and they are held internally with no attached costs. Conferences, seminars and workshops are organised and paid for (sometimes jointly and sometimes exclusively) by policy divisions across the Department. They are held both in-house and on non-Departmental premises. The information relating to the cost of each could be answered only at disproportionate cost.

Digital Broadcasting

Gary Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what consultations she has had with landlords in Devon and Cornwall regarding the provision of digital transmission for tenants living in multiple dwelling units.

James Purnell: We are working with a large number of housing organisations regarding the provision of digital television services for residents served by communal television systems, including the Chartered Institute of Housing, the National Housing Federation, the National Landlords Association and with tenants groups such as TPAS and TAROE.

Digital Broadcasting

Gary Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps will be taken to ensure that the elderly and housebound in Devon and Cornwall have the opportunity to acquire a digital tuner by 2008.

James Purnell: The Government are committed to ensuring that the interests of the most vulnerable consumers in the UK are protected during digital switchover and has proposed that the BBC help establish and fund appropriate support. We will announce details of the scope of this assistance in due course.

Identity Cards

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent assessment she has made of the implications of the introduction of identity cards for her Department.

Tessa Jowell: We are working with the Home Office to identify areas where the Identity Cards Scheme could provide business benefits. On 28 June 2005, my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary placed in the Library a paper containing the latest estimates of benefits of the Identity Cards Scheme which shows that the benefits outweigh the costs once the scheme is fully operational.
	The hospitality industry has long considered that the prevention of sales of alcohol to and purchase by children under 18 would be greatly enhanced if a universal identity card showing evidence of age was introduced. At present, the large number of different proof of age cards with varying security features makes it difficult for retailers to identify those underage. The industry has recently confirmed that it fully supports the introduction of identity cards for these reasons.

Licensed Premises

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will estimate the number of (a) licensed premises and (b) licensed premises serving food in each local authority area.

James Purnell: There are no available figures for the numbers of licensed premises which serve food by local authority area. No distinction is made under the present licensing framework between public houses, for example, which serve food, and those which do not. This is also the case for the new regime introduced by the Licensing Act 2003.
	There were 75,972 public houses across England in June 2004. The Department of Health estimated that between 10 per cent. and 30 per cent. of them do not serve food, in the November 2004 White Paper Choosing Health. My Department believes that this estimate remains a reasonable one, but that in many areas of England the proportion will be at the lower end of the range.

Licensing Qualifications

Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what criteria were used in determining the matters to be included in the (a) GOAL and (b) GQAL licensing qualifications approved by her Department; and if she will make a statement.

James Purnell: holding answer 20 July 2005
	All licensing qualifications accredited by the Secretary of State meet the same requirements. All qualifications must cover the framework of subject areas outlined in the syllabus published by DCMS on 31 July 2003. To ensure common and fair standards for all qualifications and award bodies they are also required to be accredited by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) or the Qualifications Curriculum and Assessment Authority for Wales (ACCAC).

Olympic Games

Peter Law: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will establish principles of sustainability for the Olympic games 2012; and if she will take steps to ensure maximum use is made of (a) recycled materials, (b) waste minimisation, (c) solar energy, (d) sustainable building and (e) transport design in the Olympic village and sports venues for 2012.

Tessa Jowell: Sustainability principles are a vital part of the plans for the Olympic and Paralympics games in 2012. As set out in theme 5 of the candidature file, the London games will maximise the use of recycled material, minimise waste, promote renewable energy and design sustainability considerations in venue and infrastructure plans, including transport.
	The London Olympics Bill which is currently before Parliament requires the proposed Olympic Delivery Authority to contribute to achieving sustainable development when carrying out its functions. Similarly, the London Organising Committee for the Olympic games (LOCOG) remit will fully embrace the issue of sustainability.

Olympic Games

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make it a requirement that all buildings constructed for the Olympic games in 2012 should be self-sufficient in energy use.

Tessa Jowell: Energy conservation and the use of renewable energy will be promoted across all Olympic venues. Buildings and facilities will be designed and constructed to minimise energy demand and the Olympic village will be built with the capability of being energy self-sufficient.

Olympic Games

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will highlight the city of St.Albans in promotional literature for visitors to the 2012 Olympic games.

Tessa Jowell: There is an active East of England Olympic Working Group, led by East of England Development Agency (EEDA) and Sport England East, which will continue its work in partnership with the London Organising Committee.
	This group has already contributed to the London 2012 nations and regions website, which specifically mention St. Albans.
	While it is a little too early to say what form tourism promotion will take in 2012, I am committed to the continued engagement of Government and the Organising committee for the games with the nations and regions to ensure that the social and economic benefits of the games are maximised and shared right across the UK.

Olympic Games

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what benefits she expects to accrue to East Yorkshire as a result of the Olympic games being held in London.

Tessa Jowell: holding answer 20 July 2005
	The games will also deliver significant economic benefits. The games will attract investment, offer UK companies the opportunity to compete for billions of pounds worth of contracts, offer each nation and region the opportunity to bid for preparation camps and provide a welcome boost to the UK tourism industry.
	As we set out to the International Olympic Committee, we expect the 2012 Olympic games and Paralympics games to be an inspiration to our children and young people, to promote sporting activity and culture throughout the UK.
	Yorkshire Forward, the Yorkshire and Humber Regional Development Agency leads the East of England Olympic Working Group, which will continue to work with the London Organising Committee to identify games benefits, develop and deliver a strategy to achieve them. In February this year, this group launched a publication entitled Yorkshire, proud to be part of the winning team that estimated the economic benefits of the games to Yorkshire to be in the region of 600 million.

Olympic Games

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether the ban on pistol shooting will be lifted to allow the UK Olympic pistol shooting teams to practice in the UK; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Caborn: The Home Office does not propose to repeal the ban on the private possession of handguns. Special arrangements will be put in place to allow pistol shooting events at the 2012 Olympics as happened at the 2002 Commonwealth games. These arrangements will include a warm up event if this is deemed necessary.

Management Consultants

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what her Department's total spending on management consultants has been in each of the last three years.

Richard Caborn: The cost to the Department of using management consultants In each of the last three years is shown in the following table.
	
		
			 Financial year  
		
		
			 200203 107,299.50 
			 200304 10,170.94 
			 200405 21,067.25 
			 200506 (spend to date) 4,500.00

Management Consultants

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate she has made of the total expenditure saved in each of the last three years as a result of implementing recommendations by management consultancies within her Department.

Richard Caborn: The Department uses management consultants for a wide variety of tasks, in particular where specialist skills and expertise is required to contribute to policy making and improving the Department's effectiveness. Contracts are awarded in open competition according to EU procurement regulations, based on best value for money.
	To assess any savings directly attributable to consultancies with any degree of accuracy would incur disproportionate costs.

Media Literacy

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether her Department has a media literacy development strategy; and if she will make a statement.

James Purnell: This Government places great importance on ensuring that we enhance and develop practical media literacy skills in all citizens across the UK. Media literacy plays a key role in helping people to make informed choices about what they and their children see and hear, as well as to think critically about the media environment they live in.
	Furthermore, the development of a media literate society will provide an important driver for economic growth. The continued strength of our economy is dependent on the development of a skilled workforce. In an information-rich society, with goods and services increasingly offered online, the skill to exploit the benefits of new communication technologies have become ever more important.
	For these reasons, under the Communications Act 2003, we have placed a statutory duty on Ofcom to promote better media literacy. This includes developing a better public understanding and awareness of the available technological systems to regulate access to electronic media based material and control what is received.
	The importance of media literacy has also been identified in Europe as one of the major tools in the development of citizens' responsibilities. A number of initiatives have been launched at European level and endorsed by the European Commission with the aim of ensuring more Europeans, especially young people, have the opportunity to gain a better understanding of the multi-media environment.
	Our goal is to have a society of active and informed consumers of mediaempowering individuals so we can all benefit from and contribute to the digital future.

Media Literacy

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how her Department defines media literacy.

James Purnell: Media literacy is about empowering individuals so we can all benefit from and contribute to the digital future. We have recognized that in a rapidly changing media environment it is important that citizens are media literate and know what tools are available to them and how to use them.
	Therefore, we define media literacy to mean:
	Giving people the skills to manage the technologies available; and
	Equipping people with the tools needed to understand the media environment we live in.
	The prize is a society of engaged citizens and wise consumers who can make informed choices about what they see and hear.

Ministerial Engagements

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans she has to visit Highland games events in 2005; and if she will make a statement.

Tessa Jowell: I currently have no plans to visit any Highland games events this year. I am, however, well aware of the long standing tradition of these games and I am sure that they will, once again, be a great success.

National Lottery

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  how many members of the public her Department consulted on the proposed changes to the national lottery;
	(2)  what the total number of responses were from members of the public to her Department's consultation on the national lottery.

Richard Caborn: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State, announced proposals for reforming national lottery licensing and distribution procedures in 2002. Since then, DCMS has undertaken wide-ranging consultation. This has included four formal consultation documents which were circulated to stakeholders in the public, private and voluntary sectors, published on the Department's website at www.culture.gov.uk and placed in the Libraries of both Houses. It is not possible to calculate how many members of the public in total viewed our proposals. The number of responses to each consultation exercise is indicated in the following table:
	
		
			 Consultation Date Number of responses 
		
		
			 National Lottery Licensing and Regulation June 2002 10 
			 Review of Lottery Funding July 2002 425 
			 National Lottery Funding Decisions Document July 2003 240 
			 National Lottery Licensing Consultation May 2004 18

National Lottery

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions she has had with the Big Lottery Fund regarding the future of other lottery distributors.

Richard Caborn: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and I have regular discussions with the chair and chief executive of the Big Lottery Fund. We cover a range of issues, but have not discussed the future of other lottery distributors.

National Lottery

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions she has had with the Big Lottery Fund regarding the future classification of lottery good causes after 2009.

Richard Caborn: I have indicated that, subject to the successful passage of the Bill currently before Parliament, the new Big Lottery Fund cause will continue after 2009 broadly as now. Stability makes sense given the amount of consultation and change over the past two years.

National Lottery

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she plans to launch the consultation on lottery distributor licences after 2009.

Richard Caborn: The lottery distributors do not operate under licence, but in accordance with duties and responsibilities outlined in the National Lottery Act 1993 (as amended); and policy and financial directions issued by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport.
	The DCMS five-year plan, published and outlined in a written statement to both Houses on 17 March 2005, explained our intention to look at what future programmes for the arts, sport and heritage might look like and what share of lottery money should go to each of these good causes. It also explained that this process would commence following the announcement of which city had been nominated to host the 2012 Olympic games.
	I can confirm that we plan to consult widely from this autumn, using a broad range of methods. This consultation will lead into policy decisions by Ministers in spring 2006 and an announcement in June 2006 about the arrangements for the future.

National Lottery

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many fulltime equivalent employees worked for the National Lottery Commission in each year since it was established.

Richard Caborn: The number of full time equivalent employee posts in each year since the National Lottery Commission was established was:
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 19992000 37 
			 200001 33 
			 200102 30 
			 200203 28 
			 200304 41 
			 200405 42

National Lottery

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the annual budget has been for the National Lottery Commission for each year since it was established.

Richard Caborn: The running costs of the National Lottery Commission since it was established were:
	
		
			  000 
		
		
			 19992000 3,247 
			 200001 5,016 
			 200102 2,950 
			 200203 3,287 
			 200304 4,337 
			 200405 4,363

National Lottery

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether companies based outside the EU will be allowed to tender for the third licence to operate the national lottery; what safeguards will be put in place if the national lottery is awarded to a non-EU company; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Caborn: There is nothing to prevent a company based outside the EU bidding for the next licence. Indeed, overseas companies have participated in previous competitions. The National Lottery Commission will undertake detailed checks on all bidders to ensure that, irrespective of their country of origin, they are fit and proper, and that it is satisfied that the lottery will be run with all due propriety.

National Lottery

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what meetings she has held with the National Lottery Commission to discuss the responses to the consultation document A Lottery for the future.

Richard Caborn: The National Lottery Commission has sole responsibility for running the competition for the next lottery licence. I recently met the Commission to discuss a number of subjects in the course of which the Commission briefed me about the responses to its discussion document.

National Lottery

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many responses the National Lottery Commission received to its consultation document A Lottery for the future; and when those responses will be published.

Richard Caborn: The National Lottery Commission has already received 20 responses to its discussion document A Lottery for the future, in addition to undertaking a significant amount of wider discussion. The National Lottery Commission will publish a summary of the responses in due course.

National Lottery

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many times the National Lottery Commission (NLC) has (a) investigated section 6 breaches by Camelot and (b) fined Camelot for section 6 breaches of its licence (i) since the NLC began (ii)under Oflot.

Richard Caborn: The information requested is as follows.
	
		Licence breaches recorded under OFLOT
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 199495 0 
			 199596 2 
			 199697 2 
			 199798 3 
			 199899 2 
		
	
	
		Licence breaches recorded under the NLC
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 19992000 1 
			 200102 4 
			 200203 1 
			 200304 4 
			 200405 0 
		
	
	The NLC has fined Camelot once for a section 6 licence breach during 200102.

National Lottery

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations the National Lottery Commission has received from organisations representing lottery ticket sellers about a possible change of operator following the award of the third licence for the National Lottery.

Richard Caborn: The National Lottery Commission has been in discussion with a wide-range of interested parties about the process for the award of the next Lottery licence. These discussions have included the views of retailers. The National Lottery Commission will publish a summary of the responses it has received to date in due course. It would be pleased to receive views from retailer organisations as part of its continuing discussion process.

Ofcom

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the relationship between her Department and Ofcom.

James Purnell: The Office of Communications (Ofcom) is a public corporation, operating independently from Government, principally under the terms of the Communications Act 2003 and the Office of Communications Act 2002. Ministers and Department officials meet regularly with Ofcom to consider issues to do with the exercise of its statutory functions. Ofcom is required to report annually to the Secretary of State; its annual report 200405 was published on 19 July 2005, copies of which have been laid in the House.

Ofcom

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what process is used to audit the financial performance of Ofcom.

James Purnell: Under the terms of the Office of Communications Act 2002, Ofcom is required to prepare in respect of each financial year a statement of accounts in such form as the Secretary of State may direct, copies of which are sent to the Secretary of State and also to the Comptroller and Auditor General who is required to examine, certify and report on that statement. The Ofcom Annual Report 200405, with the certificate and report of the Comptroller and Auditor General, was laid before each House of Parliament on 19 July 2005. Additionally, a review of the effectiveness of the system of internal control is performed by Ofcom's internal audit function.

Press Officers

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many press officers the Department employed in each year since 1997; and what the cost was in each year.

Richard Caborn: The number of press officers the Department employed in each year since 1997 are as follows. The cost for each year is available only from 2003 as the information requested for earlier years could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  Number  
		
		
			 1997 7  
			 1998 7  
			 1999 9  
			 2000 8  
			 2001 9  
			 2002 8  
			 2003 9 459,952 
			 2004 10 552,677 
			 2005 9 466,206

Rivers

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent discussions she has had with (a) the British Canoe Union and (b) others on improving the accessibility of rivers in England and Wales to the public.

Richard Caborn: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has not had any recent discussions with either the British Canoe Union or other similar organisations regarding the accessibility of rivers in England.
	However, as part of my responsibilities as Minister for Sport, I met with representatives of the British Canoe Union in December 2004. This was as part of a meeting I had with the Minister for Rural Affairs at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in which issues including increasing access to water-based sports and recreation, such as canoeing, were discussed.
	The National Assembly for Wales and the Welsh Assembly rather than DCMS or Defra, have responsibility for the accessibility of rivers in Wales.

South Bank Centre

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will request the resignation of Lord Hollick as chair of the South Bank Centre.

Tessa Jowell: I have no intention of seeking Lord Hollick's resignation.

South Bank Centre

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions she has had with the Prime Minister concerning the future of the London Eye; and what assessment she has made of the effect of the success of the 2012 Olympic bid on the situation with the South Bank Centre.

Tessa Jowell: I have had no discussions with the Prime Minister concerning the future of the London Eye. The welcome success of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic bid has no bearing on the current negotiations between the South Bank Centre and the London Eye.

South Bank Centre

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she expects the lease dispute between the South Bank Centre and the London Eye to be resolved.

Tessa Jowell: Negotiations to secure a new agreement are on-going.

South Bank Centre

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on progress with the negotiations between the South Bank Centre and the London Eye.

Tessa Jowell: Negotiations between the South Bank Centre and the London Eye are ongoing.

South Bank Centre

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on what dates she has had discussions with Lord Hollick, chair of the South Bank Centre, about the London Eye; what the substance of those conversations was; and whether she plans further (a)meetings and (b) discussions with Lord Hollick on that subject.

Tessa Jowell: I have had one phone call with Lord Hollick, on 21 May, to discuss the London Eye. I am being kept informed of the progress of negotiations.

Television Licences

Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much has been spent on advertising on television warning against the failure to hold a current television licence in the last five years.

James Purnell: The BBC has responsibility for the administration of the television licensing system and TV Licensing carries out the day to day administration under contract to the corporation. I have therefore asked the BBC's head of revenue management to consider the question raised by the hon. Member and to write to him direct, placing a copy of the reply in the Libraries of both Houses.

Television Licences

Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many people in Paisley and Renfrewshire North were found by TV Licensing not to have a current television licence in 2004.

James Purnell: The BBC has responsibility for the administration of the television licensing system and TV Licensing carries out the day-to-day administration under contract to the Corporation. I have therefore asked the BBC's Head of Revenue Management to consider the question raised by the hon. Member and to write to him direct, placing a copy of the reply in the Libraries of both Houses.

Television Licences

David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many people are employed by TV Licensing in Scotland.

James Purnell: The BBC has responsibility for the administration of the television licensing system and TV Licensing carries out the day to day administration under contract to the corporation. I have therefore asked the BBC's head of revenue management to consider the question raised by my hon. Friend and to write to him direct, placing a copy of the reply in the Libraries of both Houses.

Television Licences

David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much has been spent on advertising on commercial radio to publicise the need to hold a current television licence in each of the last three years.

James Purnell: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has not spent any money on radio advertisements to publicise the television licensing requirements. The BBC has responsibility for the administration of the television licensing system; this includes responsibility for publicity to encourage compliance with the legislation. I have therefore asked the BBC's head of revenue management to consider the question raised by my hon. Friend and to write to him direct, placing a copy of the reply in the Libraries of both Houses.

Television Licences

David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many people in Midlothian were found by TV Licensing not to have a current television licence in 2004.

James Purnell: The BBC has responsibility for the administration of the television licensing system and TV Licensing carries out the day to day administration under contract to the corporation. I have therefore asked the BBC's head of revenue management to consider the question raised by my hon. Friend and to write to him direct, placing a copy of the reply in the Libraries of both Houses.

Wine Tasting Clubs

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations she has received on the applications of the Licensing Act 2003 to wine tasting clubs; and if she will make a statement.

James Purnell: Some correspondence has been received from the organisers of wine tasting sessions. Their main concern is whether or not wine tasting requires a licence under the Licensing Act 2003. Generally this would not be the case. Normally a wine tasting club would buy wine collectively for each wine tasting session and at the session the wine would be provided free of charge. As such, in most cases, this would be similar to a private party where one or more people club together to purchase the refreshments to be consumed. This would not be licensable. However, if a club admits non-members for a charge which entitles them to consume a certain amount of alcohol, the event would be licensable. Furthermore, if the club sells or supplies alcohol to its members for a charge, it may be necessary for the club to take advice as to whether a club premises certificate is required.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Business/Domestic Rates

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much revenue has been raised in each business improvement district (BID) from the additional levy on business rates in each year since the operation of each BID; and what the estimated figures are for 200506 for each BID.

Phil Woolas: Billing authorities reported the following estimates of BID levy income in 200506 for BIDs within their area:
	
		
			 Billing authority 000 
		
		
			 Birmingham 248 
			 Camden 677 
			 Coventry 302 
			 Kingston-upon-Thames 762 
			 Plymouth 250 
			 Southwark 650 
			 Westminster 3,470 
			 Total 6,359 
		
	
	Source:
	BID revenue accounts transactions 2005-06 returns to ODPM
	No other billing authority reported any estimates BID levy income for 200506, and figures are not collected centrally for each separate BID, where there is more than one within a single billing authority area.
	The powers under the Local Government Act 2003 that set up BIDs came into effect when the BIDs regulations came into operation on 17 September 2004. No figures have been collected centrally for BID levy income between that date and the end of 200405.

Business/Domestic Rates

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what average domestic rate poundage was levied in England in each year from 1979 until the abolition of domestic rates.

Phil Woolas: Details of the average domestic rate poundage levied in England in each year from 1979 until the abolition of domestic rates are published in table 18 in Local Government Financial Statistics England No. l and this is available in the Library of the House.

Council Tax

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what were the (a) average (i) B and (ii) D council tax in England and (b) average council tax per dwelling in England were, (A) before capping and (B) after the introduction of in-year capping, in (1) 200405 and (2)200506.

Phil Woolas: The information requested for England is shown in the table.
	
		
		
			  Average band B council tax Average band D council tax Average council tax per dwelling 
		
		
			 200405 907 1,167 967 
			 200506 944 1,214 1,009 
		
	
	In-year capping makes no difference to the figures at a national level for 200405 when rounded to the nearest pound. Assuming that capped authorities reduce their budgets in 200506 to the maximum permitted budget requirement, the same would be true for this year.
	Capping remains an effective means of bringing down council tax increases as authorities would otherwise go on to set higher increases. In 200304, the last year in which capping powers were not exercised, the average council tax increase in England was 12.9 per cent. This reduced to 5.9 per cent. in 200405 and fell again to 4.1per cent. in 200506in both these years, the Government made clear that they were prepared to use their powers to cap excessive council tax increases.

Councillors (Code of Conduct)

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when the Standards Board for England will publish a revised code of conduct for councillors.

Phil Woolas: The Standards Board for England is currently reviewing the code of conduct for local authority members. The board expects to conclude this review in the autumn. We will consider carefully any recommendations for amendments to the code of conduct which the board may wish to propose arising from this review.

Electronic Government Targets

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many Implementing Electronic Government targets local authorities must meet in (a) 200405 and (b)200506.

Phil Woolas: Councils do not need to meet any IEG targets in 200405. By December 2005 councils are expected to be 100 per cent. e-enabled as per the Office's PSA4 target SR2002. Achievement will be measured through BVPI157 and against the local e-Government Priority Service Outcomes (published April 2004)
	According to last December's IEG returns, authorities expect to deliver 1.2 billion in efficiency savings by 20008 as a direct result of e-Government investment.
	The average council is now 79 per cent. e-enabled and is expected to meet the December 2005 target.

English Partnerships (Milton Keynes)

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much land English Partnerships owns in the constituency of North East Milton Keynes.

Yvette Cooper: Currently English Partnerships owns 937 acres (379 hectares) in the Milton Keynes North East constituency. The majority of the land holding are located in grid squares of central Milton Keynes, Campbell Park, Oakgrove, Monkston Park, Broughton.

Fire Service

Damian Green: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what guidance he has issued to the Fire Service on the safety implications of the use of decorative hops in public houses, in relation to fire inspections required under the Licensing Act 2003.

Jim Fitzpatrick: None. However, extant guidance is provided in the Guide to Fire Precautions in existing places of entertainment and like premises (ISBN 0-11-340907-9) and in the Guide to fire precautions in existing places of work that require a fire certificate (Factories, Offices, Shops and Railway Premises) (ISBN 0-11-341079).
	That guidance will be replaced in due course by guidance to support the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, which will also cover the usage of artificial (or dried) foliage, tree, shrubs and flowers.

Fire Service

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether Quedegely will be one of the candidates for the new Regional Fire Centre.

Jim Fitzpatrick: No. The site was proposed but did not make the shortlist.

Fire Service

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what studies have been undertaken on the number of appliances required by each fire brigade; and who will make decisions on numbers of appliances under the proposed regionalisation of fire control centres.

Jim Fitzpatrick: It is a matter for individual Fire and Rescue Authorities to decide the number of appliances they require, in accordance with their Integrated Risk Management Plans (IRMPs). This will continue to be the case, regardless of reforms to the control centre service.

Fire Service

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many (a) jobs will be lost and (b) new jobs will be created following the regionalisation of the fire service.

Jim Fitzpatrick: There are no plans for the regionalisation of the fire service.

Fire Service

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister who will determine the numbers of reserve and professional firefighters under the proposed regionalisation of fire control centres.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The numbers of whole-time firefighters and those on the retained duty system are and will remain the responsibility of individual fire and rescue authorities.

Fire Service

Peter Viggers: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the incident response times were at the existing fire control centres in the latest year for which figures are available; what the evidential basis is for the statement that incident response times will be improved after a move to regional fire control centres; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Incident response times for existing control rooms for the most recent year are listed in the following table:
	
		Fires by response time bands from time of mobilisation to time of arrival, England, 2004(41) (time measured in minutes from time of mobilisation to time of arrival)
		
			   Attendance time 
			  Total Up to 5 minutes 610 minutes 1115 minutes Over 15 minutes 
		
		
			 England 145,355 79,815 53,221 9,451 2,868 
			   
			 EnglandNon-Met counties 83,166 36,814 35,625 8,264 2,463 
			 Avon 3,299 1,607 1,451 205 36 
			 Bedfordshire 1,630 629 815 142 44 
			 Berkshire 1,812 957 651 166 38 
			 Buckinghamshire 1,866 527 1,077 196 65 
			 Cambridgeshire 2,100 553 1,115 325 107 
			 Cheshire 2,953 1,257 1,356 266 74 
			 Cleveland 2,531 1,842 625 53 11 
			 Cornwall 1,095 228 475 262 131 
			 Cumbria 1,431 480 685 168 98 
			 Derbyshire 2,198 842 1,064 229 63 
			 Devon 2,747 1,248 1,107 268 124 
			 Dorset 1,430 1,020 355 42 13 
			 Durham 1,948 685 1,026 198 39 
			 East Sussex 2,307 1,213 864 193 37 
			 Essex 3,335 1,209 1,620 437 68 
			 Gloucestershire 1,653 442 856 278 76 
			 Hampshire 3,177 1,496 1,421 190 70 
			 Hereford and Worcester 1,530 359 892 224 54 
			 Hertfordshire 2,094 1,298 671 100 25 
			 Humberside 3,668 2,136 1,242 215 75 
			 Isle of Wight 237 113 100 12 13 
			 Kent 4,200 1,845 1,838 412 105 
			 Lancashire 4,829 2,939 1,589 232 69 
			 Leicestershire 2,097 890 893 249 65 
			 Lincolnshire 1,715 333 885 353 144 
			 Norfolk 1,770 1,071 562 118 19 
			 North Yorkshire 1,637 441 745 288 163 
			 Northamptonshire 2,112 785 1,061 189 78 
			 Northumberland 991 473 361 110 48 
			 Nottinghamshire 4,165 2,183 1,806 170 6 
			 Oxfordshire 1,432 445 693 246 48 
			 Shropshire 1,144 641 372 87 45 
			 Somerset 1,226 611 405 151 59 
			 Staffordshire 2,627 851 1,301 407 69 
			 Suffolk 1,425 423 674 238 91 
			 Surrey 2,358 837 1,180 283 57 
			 Warwickshire 1,372 799 397 138 39 
			 West Sussex 1,753 723 774 224 32 
			 Wiltshire 1,269 384 619 199 66 
			 Isles of Scilly(42) 1 0 0 1 0 
			   
			 EnglandMet counties 62,189 43,001 17,596 1,186 406 
			 Greater Manchester 12,026 8,632 3,121 228 45 
			 Merseyside 6,748 4,605 2,020 51 72 
			 South Yorkshire 5,130 2,973 1,956 156 45 
			 Tyne and Wear 4,892 3,559 1,271 58 4 
			 West Midlands 9,030 5,430 3,332 195 73 
			 West Yorkshire 7,793 4,414 2,990 298 91 
			 Greater London 16,570 13,388 2,907 200 76 
		
	
	(41)Provisional.
	(42)Isles of Scilly control room is in Cornwall.
	Note:
	Figures exclude late call and heat and smoke damage only incidents.
	Source:
	FDR1 returns to ODPM
	The figures are only for primary firesinformation is not collected centrally on response times to other incident types.
	Incident response times as used for the former national standards were calculated from the point of mobilisation from the fire station to the time of arrival at the incident. They did not include the time taken to handle the call.
	Under the FiReControl proposals control staff will have the most modern technology which shows on their screens the availability of the most suitable available appliance nearest to the incident, whether it is in the station or not, and will mobilise direct to that appliance. In most fire and rescue services in England, appliances are currently assumed to be at the fire station when mobilised. The new arrangements will take into account the disposition of appliances under an authority's Integrated Risk Management Plan, and optimise the response. The information transmitted direct to the appliance will enable better, faster route planning, and will include water supply information and premises risk data to ensure crews are better-prepared to deal with the incident on arrival.
	The location of callers will be identified automatically, even if the caller is ringing from a mobile phone, and detailed information about the location of the caller will be available on screen to the operator. This will improve call-handling by enabling the control operator speedily to validate information given by the caller and focus on handling any distress. These two factors combined are expected to reduce response times from the point of call to the point of attendance at the incident.

Firelink Project

David Drew: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will publish the representations he has received on the Firelink Project.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister does not think that it would be appropriate to disclose individual correspondence including that from private parties. The Government are committed to run a fair and open competition for Firelink in accordance with EU/UK Public Procurement Regulations. The decision as to which company will be awarded the contract will be made in accordance with the award criteria. Any representations from outside this process will be disregarded.

Gore Basin Planning Appeal

Andrew Turner: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister why the planning inspectorate extended for an unspecified period the deadline for submission by the appellant of an environmental impact assessment in respect of planning appeal P2114/c/05/2001426 (Gore Basin, Newport, IW); whether the appeal on ground is deemed to have lapsed owing to the non-submission of an environmental impact assessment; and when a hearing of the appeal is likely to take place.

Yvette Cooper: holding answer 20 July 2005
	The appellant has until 12 September to submit an environmental statement. If the statement is not submitted by then the appeal on ground will lapse unless the Planning Inspectorate extends the period further. A date for hearing the appeal has been deferred pending receipt of the environmental statement.

Housing

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what role his Department plays in releasing former new town landholdings for the development of social housing.

Yvette Cooper: The former Commission for New Town landholdings are now owned by English Partnerships, the national regeneration agency whose remit includes the acquisition and disposal of land for sustainable development. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has overall responsibility for housing policy within Government and has implemented a number of initiatives to assist with land supply and deliver new housing in support of the sustainable communities plan. The use to which English Partnerships' landholdings should be put falls within this context.
	However, it is the responsibility of local planning authorities to consider applications for development, which they should do in accordance with their local plan or local development framework.

Local Area Agreements

David Drew: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister which local authorities have signed local area agreements; and (a) which services and (b) what expenditure are involved in each case.

Phil Woolas: 20 pilot local area agreements were signed in March 2005. These local authority areas and the local authorities included within each agreement are listed in the table. The anticipated expenditure related to each local area agreement as described in each agreement is also set out in the following table. The figures include funding that is being brought together in the local area to achieve the LAA as well as the funding provided directly by central Government.
	The pilot agreements are organised around three service blocks: the Safer and Stronger Communities block; the Healthier Communities and Older People block; and the Children and Young People's block. Future local area agreements will have a fourth block, the Economic Development and Enterprise block.
	
		
			 Area/local authorities included in the LAA Funding included in the LAA ( million) 
		
		
			 Barnsley  
			 Barnsley Metropolitan Council 44 
			   
			 Bradford  
			 City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council 39 
			   
			 Brighton  
			 Brighton and Hove City Council 5 
			   
			 Coventry  
			 Coventry City Council 49 
			   
			 Derby  
			 Derby City Council 23 
			   
			 Derbyshire  
			 Derbyshire County Council  
			 Amber Valley Borough Council  
			 Erewash Borough Council?br  
			 The District of Bolsover  
			 Chesterfield Borough Council 60 
			 North East Derbyshire District Council  
			 High Peak Borough Council  
			 Derbyshire Dales District Council  
			 South Derbyshire District Council  
			   
			 Devon  
			 Devon County Council  
			 East Devon District Council  
			 Exeter City Council  
			 Mid Devon District Council  
			 North Devon District Council 16 
			 South Hams District Council  
			 Teignbridge District Council  
			 Torridge District Council  
			 West Devon Borough Council  
			   
			 Doncaster  
			 Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council 203 
			   
			 Dorset  
			 Dorset County Council  
			 Christchurch Borough Council  
			 East Dorset District Council  
			 North Dorset District Council 16 
			 Purbeck District Council West  
			 Dorset District Council  
			 Weymouth and Portland Borough Council  
			   
			 Gateshead  
			 Gateshead Council 47 
			   
			 Greenwich  
			 London Borough of Greenwich 17 
			   
			 Hammersmith and Fulham  
			 London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham 21 
			   
			 Kent  
			 Kent County Council  
			 Ashford Borough Council  
			 Canterbury City Council  
			 Dartford Borough Council  
			 Dover District Council  
			 Gravesham Borough Council  
			 Maidstone Borough Council 86 
			 Sevenoaks District Council  
			 Shepway District Council  
			 Swale Borough Council  
			 Thanet District Council  
			 Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council  
			 Tunbridge Wells Borough Council  
			 Knowsley  
			 Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council 18 
			   
			 Sheffield  
			 Sheffield City Council 18 
			   
			 Stockton  
			 Stockton-on-Tess Borough Council 24 
			   
			 Suffolk  
			 Suffolk County Council  
			 Babergh District Council  
			 Forest Heath District Council  
			 Ipswich Borough Council 80 
			 Mid Suffolk District Council  
			 St. Edmundsbury Borough Council  
			 Suffolk Coastal District Council  
			 Waveney District Council  
			   
			 Telford and Wrekin  
			 Borough of Telford and Wrekin 7 
			   
			 Wigan  
			 Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council 11 
			   
			 Wolverhampton  
			 Wolverhampton City Council 70 
			 Total 853

Local Government Pensions

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the cost will be to local authorities of revoking the changes to the Local Government Pension Scheme outlined in the Local Government Pension Scheme (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2004.

Phil Woolas: My right hon. Friend, the Deputy Prime Minister, within the framework of the Local Government Pension Scheme tri-partite committee, has invited all parties to develop, by the autumn, realistic and costed measures to fully meet actual cost pressures arising from the introduction of the Local Government Pension Scheme (Amendment) Regulations 2005. The 2005 regulations also allow actuaries to conduct interim valuations to produce fresh assessments of each fund's assets and liabilities to help manage that process. The intention is to secure the scheme's solvency and affordability, without any additional resource calls on employers, on Government or on council tax payers.

Management Consultancies

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister which five management consultancies received the highest value of contracts awarded by his Department in each of the last three years; and what the total value was of the contracts awarded to each.

Yvette Cooper: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister was formed in May 2002. This information is not held centrally and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Parish Councils (Departmental Documentation)

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many (a) consultation and (b) advisory documents were sent to parish councils by his Department in each of the last five years.

Phil Woolas: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister sends each year a number of consultation and advisory documents to local authorities including parish councils. Details of these are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Safer Stronger and Communities

John Hemming: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister 
	(1) what (a) the allocation from the Safer Stronger Communities Fund and (b) the population is for (i)Wear Valley, (ii) Westminster, (iii) Wigan and (iv)Wirral local authorities;
	(2)  what (a) the allocation from the Safer Stronger Communities Fund and (b) the population is for (i)Tower Hamlets, (ii) Wakefield , (iii) Waltham Forest, (iv) Wandsworth and (v) Wansbeck local authorities;
	(3)  what (a) the allocation from the Safer Stronger Communities Fund and (b) the population is for (i)Southwark, (ii) Stockton-on-Tees, (iii) Stoke-on-Trent, (iv) Sunderland and (v) Tameside local authorities;
	(4)  what (a) the allocation from the Safer Stronger Communities Fund and (b) the population is for (i)Sedgefield, (ii) Sefton, (iii) Sheffield, (iv) South Tyneside and (v) Southampton local authorities;
	(5)  what (a) the allocation from the Safer Stronger Communities Fund and (b) the population is for (i)Rochdale, (ii) Rotherham, (iii) St Helens, (iv) Salford and (v) Sandwell local authorities;
	(6)  what (a) the allocation from the Safer Stronger Communities Fund and (b) the population is for (i) Penwith, (ii) Plymouth, (iii) Portsmouth, (iv) Preston and (v) Redcar and Cleveland local authorities;
	(7)  what (a) the allocation from the Safer Stronger Communities Fund and (b) the population is for (i) Newham, (ii) North Tyneside, (iii) Nottingham, (iv)Oldham and (v) Pendle local authorities;
	(8)  what (a) the allocation from the Safer Stronger Communities Fund and (b) the population is for (i)Luton, (ii) Manchester, (iii) Mansfield, (iv)Middlesbrough and (v) Newcastle upon Tyne local authorities;
	(9)  what (a) the allocation from the Safer Stronger Communities Fund and (b) the population is for (i)Leeds, (ii) Leicester, (iii) Lewisham, (iv) Lincoln and (v) Liverpool local authorities;
	(10)  what (a) the allocation from the Safer Stronger Communities Fund and (b) the population is for (i)Kerrier, (ii) Kingston upon Hull, (iii)Kirklees, (iv) Knowsley and (v) Lambeth local authorities;
	(11)  what (a) the allocation from the Safer Stronger Communities Fund and (b) the population is for (i) Hartlepool, (ii) Hastings, (iii) Hyndburn, (iv)Islington and (v) Kennington and Chelsea local authorities;
	(12)  what (a) the allocation from the Safer Stronger Communities Fund and (b) the population is for (i) Greenwich, (ii) Hackney, (iii) Halton, (iv)Hammersmith and Fulham and (v) Haringey local authorities;
	(13)  what (a) the allocation from the Safer Stronger Communities Fund and (b) the population is for (i) Ealing, (ii) Easington, (iii) Enfield, (iv) Gateshead and (v) Great Yarmouth local authorities;
	(14)  what (a) the allocation from the Safer Stronger Communities Fund and (b) the population is for (i)Coventry, (ii) Croydon, (iii) Derby, (iv)Derwentside and (v) Dudley local authorities;
	(15)  what (a) the allocation from the Safer Stronger Communities Fund and (b) the population is for (i)Brent, (ii) Brighton and Hove, (iii) Bristol, (iv)Burnley and (v) Camden local authorities;
	(16)  what (a) the allocation from the Safer Stronger Communities Fund and (b) the population is for (i) Blackburn with Darwen, (ii) Blackpool, (iii)Bolsover, (iv) Bolton and (v) Bradford local authorities;
	(17)  what (a) the allocation from the Safer Stronger Communities Fund and (b) the population is for (i) Allerdale, (ii) Ashfield, (iii) Barking and Dagenham, (iv) Barnsley and (v) Barrow-in-Furness local authorities.

Phil Woolas: The Safer and Stronger Communities Fund brings together a number of programmes from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and the Home Office. Aggregate allocations in 200506 from both Departments are combined in the following table. Population estimates are from T 10: Mid-2002 to Mid-2003 population estimates; components of population change for local authorities in England and Wales; Mid-2003 Population Estimates, published by the Office for National Statistics Population Estimates Unit, and reflect the local authority administrative boundaries that were in place on 1 April 2003.
	
		
			 Region/authority Safer and stronger communities fund allocation 2005-06 () Population estimate(43) 
		
		
			 London   
			 Barking and Dagenham 629,517 165,900 
			 Brent 1,067,592 267,800 
			 Camden 3,377,093 210,700 
			 City of Westminster 1,395,889 222,000 
			 Croydon 1,019,461 336,700 
			 Ealing 2,303,502 305,000 
			 Enfield 781,563 280,300 
			 Greenwich 3,154,168 223,700 
			 Hackney 1,694,127 208,400 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 682,625 174,200 
			 Haringey 1,312,976 224,700 
			 Islington 1,034,415 180,100 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 662,432 174,400 
			 Lambeth 1,386,905 268,500 
			 Lewisham 1,100,655 248,300 
			 Newham 1,809,733 250,600 
			 Southwark 1,702,932 253,800 
			 Tower Hamlets 1,243,324 206,600 
			 Waltham Forest 1,363,430 221,600 
			 Wandsworth 1,024,832 274,100 
			
			 South East   
			 Brighton and Hove 734,060 251,500 
			 Hastings 1,029,032 85,100 
			 Portsmouth 601,983 188,700 
			 Southampton 638,297 221,100 
			
			 South West   
			 City of Bristol UA 1,313,523 391,500 
			 Kerrier and Penwith 2,288,753 155,500 
			 Plymouth 738,685 241,500 
			
			 East   
			 Luton 1,995,490 184,000 
			 Great Yarmouth 461,633 92,100 
			
			 East Midlands   
			 Derby 809,488 233,200 
			 Bolsover 414,890 73,200 
			 Leicester 2,721,377 283,900 
			 Lincoln 378,829 86,000 
			 Nottingham 1,040,720 273,900 
			 Ashfield 298,914 112,600 
			 Mansfield 1,631,864 98,700 
			
			 West Midlands   
			 Coventry 2,776,432 305,000 
			 Dudley 2,296,081 304,800 
			 Sandwell 1,430,863 285,000 
			 Stoke on Trent 909,835 238,000 
			
			 Yorkshire and Humber   
			 Barnsley 1,480,002 220,200 
			 Bradford 1,720,270 477,800 
			 Kingston upon Hull 1,230,286 247,900 
			 Kirklees 1,639,673 391,400 
			 Leeds 2,359,743 715,200 
			 Rotherham 1,353,991 251,500 
			 Sheffield 3,258,430 512,500 
			 Wakefield 925,066 318,300 
			
			 North East   
			 Derwentside 1,223,564 85,600 
			 Easington 2,691,435 92,800 
			 Sedgefield 398,408 87,300 
			 Wear Valley 416,152 61,300 
			 Gateshead 807,446 191,000 
			 Hartlepool 618,526 90,200 
			 Middlesbrough 897,348 139,000 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 1,005,313 266,600 
			 North Tyneside 1,742,459 190,800 
			 Wansbeck 385,188 61,300 
			 South Tyneside 768,535 151,700 
			 Stockton 1,377,841 186,300 
			 Sunderland 1,064,355 283,100 
			
			 North West   
			 Blackburn with Darwen 2,476,794 139,800 
			 Blackpool 797,084 142,400 
			 Bolton 2,114,167 263,800 
			 Allerdale 393,244 94,500 
			 Barrow-in-Furness 406,933 70,600 
			 Halton 640,998 118,400 
			 Knowsley 885,930 150,200 
			 Burnley 445,261 88,500 
			 Hyndburn 405,224 81,700 
			 Pendle 450,972 89,300 
			 Preston 682,461 130,500 
			 Liverpool 2,450,452 441,800 
			 Manchester 3,180,864 432,500 
			 Oldham 928,771 218,100 
			 Rochdale 958,823 206,600 
			 Salford 1,082,729 216,500 
			 Sefton 878,937 281,600 
			 St. Helens 742,367 176,700 
			 Tameside 1,550,219 213,400 
			 Wigan 858,689 303,800 
			 Wirral 1,337,874 313,800 
		
	
	Source:
	http://www.statistics.qov.uk/StatBase/Expodata/Spreadsheets/D8560.xls

Sustainable Communities

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what discussions his Department has had with the Treasury on securing developer contributions to fund key infrastructure for the sustainable communities growth strategy in Northamptonshire; and whether further legislation is required to implement the policy.

Yvette Cooper: holding answer 19 July 2005
	Officials from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and HM Treasury have not met specifically to discuss how to secure developer contributions for infrastructure in Northamptonshire, although work on infrastructure funding for the growth areas, including Milton Keynes and the South Midlands, is ongoing.
	Local authorities may seek developer contributions through planning obligations (also known as section 106 agreements) under existing legislation. New legislation would be required for local authorities to seek contributions that go beyond the policy set out in the Government's Circular 05/2005 on planning obligations.

Sustainable Communities

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister with which bodies in Milton Keynes he has discussed his Department's plans for sustainable communities.

Yvette Cooper: The plans for the sustainable communities have had a long gestation and have included wide community participation. Regional Planning Guidance 9(2001) recommended an interregional study should be undertaken to consider the further development of the Milton Keynes sub-region. This was followed by the Milton Keynes and South Midlands study (2002) and subsequent growth area assessments, all of which were steered by a full range of stakeholders. Sustainable communities: building for the future, published by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister in 2003, announced three new growth areas, including Milton Keynes South Midlands (MKSM), and identified key steps for taking them forward.
	All interested bodies and members of the community in Milton Keynes and elsewhere had the opportunity to participate in the formulation of the MKSM Sub-Regional Strategy, which sets out the strategic plan for the area up to 2031. The first consultations on the MKSM Sub-Regional Strategy (July to October 2003) produced 1,600 responses. There then followed a public examination by an independent panel who produced their report in August 2004. In response to the panel's recommendations my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister the First Secretary of State, via his Government Offices, consulted on the proposed changes to the MKSM Sub-Regional Strategy. Over 3,000 copies of this document were distributed with 426 representations received. These were considered before publishing the final MKSM Sub-Regional Strategy in March 2005.
	Further details can be found in Milton Keynes and South Midlands Sub-Regional StrategySummary of Public Consultation on the Secretary of State's Proposed Changes (available via www.gose.gov.uk). See also Sustainable Communities: An Urban Development Area for Milton Keynes: Consultation Summary and Decision Document (available via www.odpm.gov.uk) for further information on the consultation process leading up to the establishment of Milton Keynes Partnerships Committee, the local delivery vehicle for Milton Keynes.

Telecommunications Masts

David Burrowes: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister 
	(1) whether Government guidance requires consideration of the cumulative impact of a number of masts in close proximity on the (a) environment and (b) health of local residents;
	(2)  whether Government guidance requires consideration of the health implications arising from an intensity of beam of electromagnetic field when a number of masts are located in close proximity.

Caroline Flint: I have been asked to reply.
	The research on health effects from radiofrequency electromagnetic fields was comprehensively reviewed by the National Radiological Protection Board's (NRPB) independent advisory group on non-ionising radiation in 2003. The review concluded that
	Exposure levels from living near to mobile phone base stations are extremely low and the overall evidence indicates that they are unlikely to pose a risk to health
	The NRPB, now part of the Health Protection Agency (HPA), has posted the results of its base station exposure measurements on its website, with an explanation of the effect of other masts in the vicinity. This is available at:
	www.hpa.org.uk/radiation/understand/information sheets/mobile telephony/base stations.htm.
	In addition, an audit of more than 450 measurements of exposure around base stations undertaken by Ofcom over the last four years demonstrate that none has exceeded the electromagnetic field exposure guidelines of the international commission on non-ionising radiation.
	Nevertheless, in view of the public concern and the precautionary approach to the use of these new technologies recommended by the Stewart Report (2000) and the NRPB's Mobile Phones and Health 2004 report, the mobile telecommunications and health research programme is supporting studies on the possible effects from mobile phone radio waves.

Work-related Stress

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many cases of work-related stress have been reported in his Department in each of the last three years; how much compensation was paid to employees in each year; how many work days were lost due to work-related stress in each year; at what cost; what procedures have been put in place to reduce work-related stress; at what cost; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister was created on 29 May 2002. The number of cases of work-related stress as categorised by staff is set out in the following table:
	
		
			  Cases reported and categorised as work related stress by staff Days lost Cost (000) 
		
		
			 1 June 2002 to 31 March 200347 1,263 85 
			 1 April 2003 to 31March 200468 1,752 116 
			 1 April 2004 to 31 March 200571 1,951 162 
		
	
	No compensation has been paid to employees for any stress related case since the Office was established.
	Individual staff are responsible for reporting and recording short term absence according to what they perceive the cause to be. Longer term absence results in referral to our Medical Adviser who confirms the cause. Therefore in a number of cases the cause of stress may actually be factors outside the work place, for example, domestic or financial pressures.
	The Office is committed to identifying and reducing the causes of work related stress and to supporting staff who may suffer from work related stress. Within the Office staff have access to a Counselling and Support Service and advice and support from the Occupational Health Adviser, line managers and Human Resources. The Office is currently assessing the Heath and Safety Executive Stress Management Standards and their potential use in the Office.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Al-Qaeda

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment the Government have made of the stated objectives of al-Qaeda; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: We conduct frequent assessments of the stated objectives and motivations of al-Qaeda terrorists and their associates. The real objective of these terrorists is clear:
	it is to conduct indiscriminate attacks where and when they can, to try to bring countries and their communities into conflict.

Ambassadors (Subordinate Staff)

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many formal grievances made against Her Majesty's Ambassadors by subordinate staff are outstanding; how long each case has been outstanding; whether investigations in each case have been concluded; and when the complaint is expected to be determined in each case.

Jack Straw: None.

Brazil

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance he has offered to President Luiz Inacio Lula de Silva to tackle corruption in Brazil.

Douglas Alexander: While tackling corruption in Brazil is the responsibility of the Brazilian authorities, we are active in helping Brazil build capacity to combat corruption. Brazil is a priority under the Economic Governance programme of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Global Opportunities Fund (GOF). One relevant project aims to assist the Brazilian authorities to combat corruption by developing expertise in budget auditing and the identification of fraudulent practices. The project also aims to spread best practice more widely in the region.

Correspondence

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many letters to his Department from hon. Members in session (a)2004-05 and (b) 2005-06 remain unanswered, broken down by those which are (i) one month old, (ii)two months old, (iii) three months old, (iv) four months old and (v) over six months old.

Jack Straw: Details of letters to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, from both hon. Members and others, are stored together in such a way that this information is not retrievable without incurring a disproportionate cost. The Cabinet Office, on an annual basis, publishes a report to Parliament on the performance of departments in replying to hon. Members'/Peers' correspondence. The Report for 2004 was published on 6 April 2005, Official Report, columns 137-140WS, and showed that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office responded to 83 per cent. of letters from hon. Members and Peers within the 20 working day target.

Drugs and Crime Fund

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much of the UK drugs and crime fund was allocated to activities in (a) Colombia, (b) Jamaica, (c) Iran, (d) Pakistan, (e)Afghanistan and (f) Turkey in each of the last five years; and what assessment he has made of the effect of this expenditure on the trade in drugs.

Kim Howells: The amount of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's drugs and crime fund that was allocated to activities in the six countries in each of the last five years is set out in the following table:
	
		
		
			  200001 200102 200203 200304 200405 Totals 
		
		
			 Afghanistan 418,000 30,901 1,576,267 5,900,000 5,800,000 13,725,168 
			 Colombia 260,841 602,993 962,135 661,409 606,837 3,094,215 
			 Iran 620,040 444,413 642,733 53,001 229,200 1,989,387 
			 Jamaica 7,902 563,650 335,707 213,420 270,457 1,391,136 
			 Pakistan 363,437 939,933 167,831 91,182 231,200 1,793,583 
			 Turkey 108,515 669,262 170,447 238,380 68,111 1,254,715 
			   23,248,204 
		
	
	This expenditure has played an important role in helping to increase the capacity of the six countries concerned to combat the trade in drugs. It has improved the law enforcement capacity of the six countries e.g. to interdict drug shipments and to target, arrest and convict leading drug traffickers. The increase in the seizures of cocaine, heroin and other opiates in recent years suggest that, through training and other measures, this investment may be having some effect: worldwide cocaine and opiate seizures both increased by a third in 2003, the latest date for which figures are available.

English Wine

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the Answer of 11 July 2005, Official Report, column 664W, on the Government wine cellar, what proportion of the cellar stock is English wine; and what the policy is in respect of the procurement of English wines.

Jack Straw: English and Welsh wines currently make up a little over 5 per cent. of the total stock of the Government Wine Cellar.
	The Government Hospitality Advisory Committee for the Purchase of Wine offers advice to Government Hospitality on the management of the government cellar. For many years the Committee and Government Hospitality have regularly augmented the cellar with a selection of the best wines produced in the United Kingdom, in order to show-case British wine-making expertise.

European Constitution

Ian Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list meetings at which Ministers from his Department plan to speak on matters relating to the EU Constitution during the next three months.

Douglas Alexander: Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Ministers have spoken about the EU Constitutional Treaty and about the Treaty in the context of the debate about the future of Europe on a number of occasions since this question was tabled. This includes parliamentary debates in the UK, bilateral meetings with European counterparts and, since 1 July, appearances at parliamentary committees in the European Parliament to represent the presidency. There are no current plans for FCO Ministers to discuss the EU Constitutional Treaty or the Treaty in the context of the debate about the future of Europe between now and the end of August. This response covers the three month period which the question referred to when tabled.

European Constitution

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list European Union proposals (a) on which action has been taken in advance of the ratification of the EU constitution and (b) which are dependent in part or whole upon ratification of the constitution.

Douglas Alexander: No formal or informal legislative proposals or other initiatives have been proposed by the European Union which rely on the Constitutional treaty as their legal basis.

Grievance Procedures

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much public money has been spent in each of the last five years in settlement of grievance procedures brought against senior staff of his Department by subordinate staff; how much was paid in each case; and whether the payment was in full and final settlement in each case.

Jack Straw: None.

Handcuffs (Exports)

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether end-user checks have taken place of the export of oversized handcuffs from the UK to (a) the United States of America and (b) Hong Kong.

Ian Pearson: Checks of end users and their documentation form part of the consideration of all export licence applications and help establish whether an export is consistent with the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria.

Israel

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will press for Israeli compliance with, and ratification of, the (a)Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty and (b) Chemical Weapons Convention.

Kim Howells: The British Government have on a number of occasions called on Israel to accede to the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty as a non-nuclear weapon state and also to the Chemical Weapons Convention, and will continue to do so. We take appropriate opportunities to discuss all aspects of non-proliferation with representatives of the Israeli Government.

Israel

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of whether Israel possesses a deployable nuclear arsenal; and what recent discussions he has had with the Israeli government on (a) acceding to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty as a non-nuclear weapon state and (b) concluding a fullscope safeguards agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Ian Pearson: We are aware of the widespread assumption that Israel possesses nuclear weapons, but note that the Israeli Government had refused to confirm it. The British Government have, on a number of occasions, called on Israel to accede to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty as a non-nuclear weapon state, and to conclude a full scope safeguards agreement and Additional Protocol with the International Atomic Energy Agency. We take appropriate opportunities to discuss all aspects of non-proliferation with representatives of the Israeli Government.

London Bombings

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions his Department has had with the government of Pakistan following the London bombings.

Ian Pearson: The Government have an excellent relationship with the Government of Pakistan and there is close and continuing co-operation between us in regard to the London bombings and the campaign against terrorism.
	The Government of Pakistan is a key ally in the efforts we are taking to combat extremism, radicalisation and terrorism, both in the UK and overseas.

Middle East

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had in the last six weeks with representatives of the (a) US administration, (b) Russian Government and (c) EU in relation to progress on the Middle East road map; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: In the last six weeks my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has discussed the Middle East peace process (MEPP) with his US, Russian and EU counterparts, including at the G8 foreign Ministers meeting in London on 23 June.
	We believe it remains crucial that the quartet (US, UN, EU and Russia) plays a central role on the MEPP. The UK will participate in quartet meetings as EU presidency.

Non-settlement Visas

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many applications for non-settlement visas were (a) received and (b) refused in (i) Bangladesh, (ii) Algeria, (iii)Morocco, (iv) Tunisia and (v) Ghana in each of the last five years; and what proportion of those were granted at Tier One.

Kim Howells: The information on applications for visitors visas for the countries and categories requested, is as follows:
	
		Number
		
			  Bangladesh Algeria Morocco Tunisia Ghana 
		
		
			 Non-settlement applications (NSA) received 
			 1999-2000 14,983 3,370 7,410 7,066 27,457 
			 2000-01 17,291 (43)0 7,905 7,559 33,095 
			 2001-02 22,132 5,315 6,721 6,746 45,212 
			 2002-03 25,251 12,219 7,186 4,647 64,455 
			 2003-04 34,041 15,423 6,721 4,944 81,940 
			   
			 NSA refused
			 1999-2000 3,363 (43)0 433 1,072 5,246 
			 2000-01 3,613 (43)0 402 1,128 7,536 
			 2001-02 6,242 (43)0 251 1,036 20,532 
			 2002-03 9,396 1,859 339 729 33,417 
			 2003-04 10,313 4,148 615 644 44,020 
		
	
	
		Tier One non-settlement applications -- Percentage
		
			  Bangladesh Algeria Morocco Tunisia Ghana 
		
		
			 1999-2000 95 100 97 98 95 
			 2000-01 97 (43)0 97 99 93 
			 2001-02 95 100 93 96 99 
			 2002-03 97 100 99 97 98 
			 2003-04 91 100 90 98 91 
		
	
	(43)While UKvisas makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of statistics, they are not liable for technical errors or omissions contained in published figures. In addition, some posts do not forward certain statistics and occasional or permanent closures can also affect figures.
	Statistics for the proportion of non-settlement visas granted at Tier One, applications where decisions are made without the need for an interview, are not available. The figures provided represent the percentage of non-settlement visa applications, which include visit visas, that were dealt with at Tier One within 24 hours

Pakistan

Mohammad Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the High Commission in Islamabad will accept first time traveller applications from under 25-year-olds.

Kim Howells: Our High Commission in Islamabad is continuing not to accept applications from first time visitors under the age of 25 until such time as it is operationally viable to recommence this part of the service. At this stage, it is not possible to say when that may be.
	Applications for visitors under the age of 25 who can demonstrate previous travel to the UK, USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand are being accepted. All straightforward visit applications that meet the criteria are being processed within seven working days.
	When a change is made to this policy, the information will be contained on both the UKvisas website: www.ukvisas.gov.uk and on the High Commission website: www.britainonline.org.pk.

Palestine

Dan Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the (a)organisations and (b) projects operating in (i) Israel and (ii) the Palestinian territories being (A) funded and (B) partially sponsored by his Department.

Ian Pearson: The projects listed are funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) through the Global Opportunities Fund (GOF), the Global Conflict Prevention Pool (GCPPwhich is jointly funded by FCO, MOD and DFID) and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Directorate Programme Budget (DPB).
	Further information about these funds is available on the FCO website at: www.fco.gov.uk.
	(i) Organisations/projects in Israel:
	1. Ir AminChanging public information and discourse around Jerusalem.
	2. Economic Co-operation Foundation (ECF)Making disengagement work.
	3. Peace Nowmonitoring expansion of Israeli settlements (co-funded with Norwegians).
	4. UK-Israeli academic co-operation on nanotechnology.
	5. Hand in Hand Centre for Jewish Arab education in Israel.
	6. Football for Peace(co-sponsor) implemented by British Council.
	7. MerchavimShared citizenship project for training Arab-Israeli teachers.
	(ii) Organisations/projects in occupied territories:
	1. Palestinian Authoritysupport to Palestinian civil policecompletion of training centre for National Security Forces.
	2. Search For Common GroundPalestinian media activities in support of the roadmap.
	3. International Service for Human Rightstraining in partnership with National Human Rights Institution, Ramallah.
	4. Palestinian Central Elections Commission (CEC) members' election visit to the UK.
	5. Training for one Palestinian journalist at School for Oriental and African studies (SOAS).
	6. Refurbishment of computers for two Palestinian Authority school libraries.
	7. Support Central Elections Commission by helping to pay for English language training for member of CEC staff.
	8. Peres peace centretraining for Palestinian school teachers.
	9. Habla Refugee Camp sports project.
	10. Support for Kobar village school library.
	(iii) Joint organisations/projects:
	1. EXACTjoint Israeli/Palestinian/Jordanian project focusing on water resources.
	2. Shared Citizenship education project.

Security Contracts

Doug Henderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much was spent by his Department and public bodies and agencies for which he is responsible on security contracts with Group 4 Securicor in 2004-05; and if he will list (a) the nature and location of services provided and (b) the start and end dates of such contracts.

Jack Straw: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London has not spent any money on contracts with Group 4 Securicor in the past year. Inquiries with our diplomatic missions overseas have shown that 14 missions have contracts from local budgets worth 844,000 per annum with companies in the Group 4 Securicor group. Services contracted included: security guards; rapid response teams; alarm surveillance of offices and residences; direct line push button response alarms to the local police; and alarm, closed circuit television and fire system maintenance.
	None of the public bodies or agencies that I as Secretary of State am responsible for has contracts currently let with Group 4 Securicor.

Sickness Absence

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many days the Department has lost due to sickness in the past five years for which figures are available.

Jack Straw: Total recorded days of sickness absence for staff in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) were:
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 2000 (44)20,900 
			 2001 25,012 
			 2002 27,720 
			 2003 33,219 
			 2004 35,969 
		
	
	(44)Estimate, based on available data.
	Data collection over this period has been complicated by the introduction of new Pay and Management Information systems. It is therefore possible that the figures given do not reflect consistent recording methods. FCO is currently working to improve both accuracy and detail in this area.
	Per capita sickness absence in the FCO has been consistently below the public sector average. In 2003 it was recorded at 5.6 days per person. The date showed a slight rise in 2004 to six days per person. This is likely to be the result of better management control/reporting and the introduction of new IT systems.
	The FCO is fully committed to implementing the recommendations in the recently published Managing Sickness Absence in the Public Sector. A new FCO health care contract which started in April 2005 includes a comprehensive occupational health service aimed at better and more proactive management of long and short-term sickness absence.

Sir Michael Jay

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when Sir Michael Jay was asked to adjust his duties in relation to the G8; whether this constituted a formal redeployment; when he will return to his principal duties as Permanent Under-Secretary; and if he will make a statement.

Jack Straw: My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister appointed Sir Michael Jay as his G8 Sherpa on 17January 2005 for the duration of the UK presidency. Sir Michael took on this duty in addition to his duties as Permanent Under-Secretary at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Head of HM Diplomatic Service. There was no formal redeployment.

Sudan

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Sudanese authorities on the provisions of the new interim conditions that provide immunity against prosecution for the highest levels of the Government.

Ian Pearson: Under the Interim National Constitution (INC), which came into force on 9 July 2005, the president and first vice-president shall be immune from any legal proceedings during their tenure of office, except in cases of high treason, gross violation of the constitution or gross misconduct in relation to state affairs, where they may be charged if three quarters of the National Assembly agree.
	In line with the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), which we strongly support, the INC was drawn up by the National Constitutional Review Commission, which included representatives of the parties to the agreement and other political forces in Sudan.
	We have made no representations on this issue. However, we regularly press the Government of Sudan on the need to establish an open, transparent and fair judicial system; and we plan to support the comprehensive review of the judiciary provided for by the CPA.
	The International Criminal Court is currently conducting investigations into allegations of crimes in Darfur. Though Sudan is not a state party to the ICC statute, it was referred to the court by the UN Security Council Resolution 1593 (2005) which was made pursuant to Chapter VII of the United Nations charter. Sudan is therefore legally obliged to co-operate with the ICC including by surrendering any Sudanese nationals indicted by the ICC, irrespective of the individual's position under Sudanese domestic law.

Sudan

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with EU and African counterparts on (a) increasing the size and (b) improving the effectiveness of the international forces in Darfur.

Ian Pearson: We hold regular discussions with the African Union (AU), African nations and the EU about the African Union's Mission in Sudan (AMIS). At the recent Gleneagles summit, G8 and African leaders discussed the issue and adopted a joint declaration on Sudan which commended the work of the AU in Darfur, and called upon the parties to scrupulously respect the ceasefire and negotiate constructively to reach a political settlement.
	My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Development (Hilary Benn) and my noble Friend the Minister for Africa (Lord Triesman of Tottenham) also discussed Sudan with AU Chairperson Konare, during their visit to the AU summit in Sirte on 4 July. The Secretary of State for International Development also held detailed discussions with the AU during his visit to Sudan on 12-14 June.
	Sudan and AMIS in particular are regularly discussed in the EU. The 18 July General Affairs and External Relations Council agreed the terms for the EU's comprehensive support to AMIS II in the civilian and military fields.

Sudan

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what meetings he has had with the African Union about monitoring the ongoing ceasefire in Darfur.

Ian Pearson: We hold regular discussions with the African Union (AU) about the monitoring of the ceasefire in Darfur. At the recent Gleneagles summit, G8 and African leaders discussed the issue and adopted a joint declaration on Sudan which commended the work of the AU in Darfur, and called upon the parties scrupulously to respect the ceasefire and negotiate constructively to reach a political settlement.
	My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Development (Hilary Benn) and my noble Friend the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Minister for Africa (Lord Triesman of Tottenham) also discussed Sudan with AU Chairperson Konare, during their visit to the AU summit in Sirte on 4 July. The Secretary of State for International Development also held detailed discussions with the AU during his visit to Sudan on 1214 June.

Sudan

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what support the Government are giving to the International Criminal Court chief prosecutor to aid his investigations into human rights abuses in Darfur.

Ian Pearson: The UK has concluded a generic witness relocation agreement with the Court and is negotiating agreements on sentence enforcement and information-sharing. The Court will carry out its investigations in Darfur and elsewhere in an entirely independent capacity. Because of the need to respect this independence, and to protect the integrity of the Court's operations, it would not be appropriate to comment on the operational aspects of specific ICC investigations, nor to reveal what support the UK is providing in that regard. The UK remains ready to consider any specific request put forward by the Court.

United Nations

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to improve the governance of the United Nations.

Ian Pearson: In September 2005 the UN Millennium Review Summit will address recommendations on reform of the UN system put forward by the UN Secretary-General in his report In Larger Freedom: Towards Development, Security and Human Rights for All.
	The Government welcome these proposals and hope to build on them at the summit. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary, in his meetings with the UN Secretary-General, has highlighted the importance that the UK attaches to improved governance at the UN.
	The UK has identified four areas of governance where we would like to see specific actions taken:
	Accountabilityoversight capacity within the UN must be strengthened, and its independence and authority enhanced.
	Professionalism and modernisationthere must be transparent, competence based recruitment throughout the UN system and the introduction of modern human rights practices.
	Efficiencyactivity at the UN should be rationalised, modernised and streamlined to reduce duplication and to focus on priority areas.
	Flexibilityin return for the measures mentioned above, the Secretary-General should be provided with the authority and flexibility to manage resources and to redeploy them according to need.
	In addition, we want to see a Security Council that reflects today's world and the contributions of the UN's members to its objectives. The UK therefore supports the expansion of both the permanent and non-permanent membership.

Visas

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 22 June 2005, Official Report, column 1083W, on visas, what meetings his Department has held with the (a) Department of Health and (b) Home Office about the issuing of visas to overseas doctors.

Kim Howells: UKvisas have not met directly with the Department of Health or the Home Office on this issue. However, they have been in contact with the Home Office about the fourthcoming Immigration Rules changes relating to postgraduate doctors and dentists.

Zimbabwe

Michael Wills: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what legal advice he has received concerning the UK Government assuming responsibility for the payment to UK citizens of Zimbabwean government pensions.

Ian Pearson: It is not our policy to disclose the content or existence of legal advice.

Zimbabwe

James McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with representatives of the South African Government regarding the situation in Zimbabwe in the past three months.

Ian Pearson: We regularly discuss the crisis in Zimbabwe with South Africa and our other African partners. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary raised it with South African Foreign Minister Zuma on 14 July. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Development (Hilary Benn) and my noble Friend the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Minister for Africa (the Lord Triesman of Tottenham) discussed the situation in Zimbabwe with African leaders, including President Mbeki, at the recent African Union Summit in Sirte in Libya. Zimbabwe was also discussed at the G8 Summit in Gleneagles, attended by President Mbeki.

DEFENCE

Armoured Vehicle Training Services

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the key dates in the Armoured Vehicle Training Services project from prequalification questionnaire to the decision to abandon the project.

Adam Ingram: The Armoured Vehicle Training Services (AVTS) project has not been abandoned. As the ministerial statements on 15 June announced, we decided to seek an alternative to the current private finance initiative (PFI) solution. This decision was reached after a detailed assessment of the landmark bid concluded that the PFI deal did not offer an acceptable value for money solution. This change in direction will allow us to examine other procurement options. Key dates in the Armoured Vehicle Training Service project are provided in the following table.
	
		Key dates in armoured vehicle training service project
		
			 Date Event 
		
		
			 January 2000 Pre-Qualification Questionnaire issued 
			 February 2001 Invitation to Negotiate (ITN) Issued. 
			 October 2002 Final Bids received 
			 November 2003 MOD/Industry agree to Best and Final Offer stage 
			 July 2004 Intended Preferred Bidder announced 
			 June 2005 Announcement to seek alternative to current PFI  solution.

Arms Sales

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his policy is in respect of arms sales to Israel.

Kim Howells: I have been asked to reply.
	The United Kingdom has one of the strictest and most transparent arms export licensing systems in the world. All export licence applications are rigorously assessed on a case by case basis against the consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria. This assessment takes into account the prevailing circumstances and all other announced Government policies, including factors that are relevant if the goods are to be incorporated for re-export. The criteria demonstrate our commitment to take account of the risk that exports might be used for internal repression, prolonging conflict or external aggression. Where we judge that the proposed export might be used in contravention of the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria, those export licence applications are refused.

Army Applicants

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many applications to join the Army were made in each year since 1998; and how many applicants were successful in each year.

Don Touhig: The following table shows the number of applications to join the Army and the numbers enlisted from financial year 199899 to 200405.
	
		
			 Financial year Applications Enlisted 
		
		
			 199899 37,250 15,150 
			 19992000 36,170 14,490 
			 200001 31,230 13,390 
			 200102 33,990 13,470 
			 200203 36,810 14,940 
			 200304 34,420 13,640 
			 200405 28,470 10,400 
		
	
	Note:
	Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.

Asbestos

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  if he will list those of his Department's buildings containing asbestos, which have been demolished, which incorporated or accommodated radar equipment and which were operational between 1940 and 1969; what quantities of asbestos were removed; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  if he will list those of his Department's buildings from which asbestos has been removed that incorporated or accommodated radar equipment and which were operational between 1940 and 1969; what quantities were removed; and if he will make a statement.

Don Touhig: holding answer 11 July 2005
	The MOD complies fully with the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulation 2002.
	There is no central register of where asbestos has been removed from buildings, belonging to the Department or its agencies, whether demolished or still in existence, which at any time accommodated radar. Such a list could be compiled only with disproportionate cost and effort. In any case, no information is available before 1974, as the law did not require records to be kept prior to that date.

Bowman

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when Bowman will be fully operational throughout the UK armed forces; and what the (a) overall final cost and (b) cost per unit is expected to be.

Adam Ingram: The Bowman tactical communications and information system is being developed and introduced across the United Kingdom armed forces incrementally. As I have previously stated on 5 July 2005, Official Report, column 258W, this is having a direct and positive effect on the communications capability in theatre.
	We have always planned for Bowman, like other complex programmes, to be developed and delivered incrementally over a number of years. We currently expect the complete capability to be delivered next year, and for the conversion programme to continue in 2008.
	The latest overall forecast cost for Bowman (as at 31 March 2005) is 2,007 million. Given the diverse nature of individual Bowman configurations, for accounting purposes, the average unit cost is expressed as around 43,000.

Cadets

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many army cadets units are cap badged (a) Queen's Lancashire Regiment, (b) King's Own Borderers and (c) King's Regiment; and how many went on to join each regiment full-time in each of the last three years.

Don Touhig: The information requested is shown in the following table. However, our records do not illustrate which regiments the Cadets went on to join, only from which regiments they originated. Also, as individuals joining the Army do not always declare that they have been cadets, the following numbers may be understated.
	
		
			  Queen's Lancashire Regiment (QLR) King's Own Royal Borderer Regiment (KORBR) King's Regiment (KINGS) 
		
		
			 Number of Army Cadet Force Units (ACF) 21 30 10 
			 Number of Combined Cadet Force Units (CCF) 4 2 3 
			 Numbers of Cadets who went on to join the Army full-time since 1 January 2000. 25 40 20

Correspondence

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many letters to his Department from hon. Members in Session (a) 200405 and (b) 200506 remain unanswered, broken down by those which are (i) one month old, (ii) two months old, (iii) three months old, (iv) four months old and (v) over six months old.

Don Touhig: As at 20 July 2005, our ministerial correspondence database showed seven letters from hon. Members received in Session 200405 had still to be given a response of any kindother than a standard acknowledgement letter. Of these, two were between four and five months old; one was between five and six months old; and four were over six months old.
	For the current Session, there were 19 such letters that were between one and two months old, and four that were between two and three months old.

Sudan

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many specialist British troops are currently engaged in peacekeeping in Darfur; and how many more he plans to send.

Adam Ingram: Five British troops are currently deployed in support of the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS), with a further three to deploy in the course of the next month.
	One UK airlift specialist has been deployed to the Addis Ababa HQ and two logistical experts have been deployed to the Joint Logistics Operations Centre in Darfur.
	Two UK officers, currently embedded in NATO, have deployed to assist in developing AMIS's planning and training capabilities. A further three, also embedded in NATO, are due to deploy in the course of the next month, to perform the same function.
	In addition, we have offered a team of up to 15 personnel from the Mobile Air Movements Squadron, as required to support the Africa Union's expansion requirements.

Defence Supply Chain Review

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he will announce the outcome of the Defence Supply Chain Review.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 7 July 2005
	I refer the hon. Member to the written statement made by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence today.

Defence Test and Evaluation Group

Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether reversionary departmental freeholds are held by the Defence Test and Evaluation Group (DTEG); to whom DTEG reports; and if he will make a statement.

Don Touhig: The Defence Test and Evaluation Group (DTEG) ultimately reports to the chief executive of the Defence Procurement Agency, and is responsible for managing the Ministry of Defence's (MOD's) Long Term Partnering Agreement (LTPA) with QinetiQ for the delivery of MOD's test and evaluation requirements. The LTPA contract confers on QinetiQ a licence to occupy a number of MOD owned sites for the purpose of delivering the company's obligations under the contract. As the sites are not leased to QinetiQ, the issue of reversionary freeholds does not arise and DTEG does not hold any reversionary departmental freeholds. The sites remain in MOD ownership.

Departmental Facilities

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will estimate the economic value to local communities of each of his Department's facilities with staff of over 10 personnel.

Don Touhig: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Work Overview

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will arrange a Tuesday morning briefing by Ministers and senior officials introducing the work of the Department to new hon. Members.

Don Touhig: I refer the hon. Member to the answer the Leader of the House of Commons, my right hon. Friend the Member for Ashfield (Mr. Hoon) gave on 18 July 2005, Official Report, column 1281W.

Equality and Diversity

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much the Department has spent promoting equality and diversity in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Don Touhig: The Ministry of Defence has a wide range of policies covering all strands of diversity (including work-life balance). These policies are among the most forward thinking in the public sector and achieve a consistently high standard in audits and benchmarking exercises.
	The promotion of these policies and the encouragement of equality and diversity more generally, is carried out at departmental, budget and individual unit level by both civilian staff and the armed forces. It can take many forms including staff networks, conferences, outreach projects and the sponsorship of awards. This information is not held centrally and it would be disproportionately costly to give an accurate assessment of the total amount spent by the Department on this work.

Fleet Procurement

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence at what notice each (a) Aircraft Carrier and (b) Landing Platform (helicopter and dock) will be available to the fleet during the next 12 months.

Don Touhig: The current planned readiness levels of Aircraft Carriers and Landing Platforms over the next 12 months are as follows:
	Aircraft Carriers:
	HMS Illustrious (Fleet Flagship)Very High Readiness throughout
	HMS InvincibleMedium Readiness until late September 2005, then Very Low Readiness
	HMS Ark RoyalLow Readiness throughout
	Landing Platforms:
	HMS OceanVery High Readiness throughout
	HMS BulwarkVery High Readiness until July 2006, then Medium Readiness
	HMS AlbionMedium Readiness until July 2006, then Very High Readiness.

Freedom of Information

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Freedom of Information Act 2000 requests have been answered by the Department; and in how many cases (a) information was wholly exempted, (b) information was partly exempted and (c) the requests were answered in full.

Don Touhig: To date Ministry of Defence has received 3,163 requests. Details of the performance of MOD in the first three months of full operation of the Freedom of Information Act were published by the Department of Constitutional Affairs on 23 June 2005. The information includes requests received, and outcomes categorised as wholly exempted, partly exempted and answered in full. A second exercise looking at the second three months will be published by DCA in due course.

Future Rapid Effects System

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the reasons are for the change in the Future Rapid Effects System vehicle requirement since July 2004; and how these vehicles will be deployed.

Adam Ingram: The Future Rapid Effect System (FRES) is currently in the initial Assessment Phase, one of the purposes of which is to refine the requirement in the light of more detailed analysis of capabilities and technological reality.
	Since July 2004 there have been two significant changes to the FRES requirement. The first is our planning assumption for the number of FRES vehicles we expect to procure. To meet the Army's requirement to replace a wide range of vehicles this assumption has been increased to around 3,500 vehicles.
	The second change is the removal of the requirement for FRES vehicles to be deployable in C-130 aircraft. This was always recognised as being challenging, and further analysis has shown that to meet it we would have to make unacceptable compromises, particularly on protection. In addition, in the timeframe in which FRES will enter service the balance of our air transport fleet will shift towards the new, more capable A400M.

Health and Safety

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps are taken to protect the hearing of British servicemen and women in the armed forces during active service.

Don Touhig: The Ministry of Defence, like all UK employers, is subject to the Health and Safety Executive Noise at Work Regulations (NAWR) 1989. These require employers to take certain actions where any of their employees is likely to be exposed to noise at or above any of the three action levels set out in the Regulations. MOD procedures meet, and in many instances exceed, both these requirements and those of the Physical Agents (Noise) Directive (PA(N)D), which comes into force in February 2006. The instructions promulgated by the armed forces to their personnel are summarised as follows.
	Navy:
	Under the new regulations set out in the PA(N)D, RN warships will have until 2011 to comply with the prescribed weekly and daily limits. In 2003 the RN introduced a hearing conservation programme to ensure compliance with NAWR 1989. This programme requires noise assessments to be carried out where personnel may be at risk from noise-induced hearing damage. Where such a risk is identified commanding officers are required to identify persons at risk, provide those potentially affected with information and awareness training, put in suitable control measures to mitigate this risk, which may include the provision of suitable hearing protection, and ensure that potentially affected personnel are provided with audiometry assessments at a frequency determined by the level of risk. Hearing protective equipment that is available to personnel complies with British Standards.
	Army:
	Hearing protection forms part of a serviceman's personal equipment that he will carry with him on operations. Additionally, hearing protection is included in the equipment schedule of the equipment that the serviceman may be operating. Whether or not the hearing protection will be worn by an individual at any one time will depend upon the role and duties of the particular individual and will, additionally, be dependant upon the hostile threat.
	RAF:
	Where RAF personnel work in an area that is deemed a noise hazard, hearing protection is issued on an individual basis. The wearing of such protection is made mandatory in the RAF at the First Action Level of NAWR 1989, which exceeds NAWR recommendations. In addition, noise assessments are conducted to determine the level and type of hearing protection required, and any member of staff working in such an area is managed via the Hearing Conservation Programme (HCP) which includes annual audiometry testing. This concurs, and in certain areas exceeds, the recommendations made by the NAWR 1989. Whether this protection is worn during times of hostile activity will depend not only on the hostile threat but also the role and duties of personnel involved.
	We are also working with HSE on the need for hearing protection for military band personnel.

Management Consultancies

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which five management consultancies received the highest value of contracts awarded by his Department in each of the last three years; and what the total value was of the contracts awarded to each.

Adam Ingram: This information is not held centrally in the form requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However information on organisations, including Management Consultancy firms, paid 5 million or more by the Ministry of Defence in each financial year is published annually in the UK Defence Statistics. Copies are placed in the Library of the House. Summary details of the Department's spend on External Assistance (EA) covering the years since 199596 to 200304 have also been placed annually in the Library of the House.

Maritime Forces

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date his Department decided to take the risk referred to in para. 2.8 of the National Audit Office report on assessing and reporting military readiness to reduce resource allocations to maritime forces for the first two years of the 200405 to 200708 planning period; and which Ministers took that decision.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 7 July 2005
	The decision to reduce the resources allocated to logistic support for the Royal Navy was taken by my right hon. Friend the then Secretary of State for Defence around the end of March 2004 as part of ministerial consideration of the forward defence programme.

McKinsey and Co.

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many contracts have been awarded to McKinsey and Co. since 1 January 2000; how many and what percentage of contract awards followed a competitive tendering process; and what the cost of each contract is.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 11 July 2005
	The Ministry of Defence has awarded McKinsey and Co. 15contracts since 1 January 2000.
	
		
		
			 Project Contract Cost 
		
		
			 Development of the DLO (Defence Logistics Organisation) Change Programme Benefits Tracking Process 217,000 
			 Support to Equipment Capability 200,000 
			 Consultancy Support for the Implementation of the SMART Procurement Initiative 340,000 
			 Support to the MOD Change Programme 2,223,000 
			 Support to the DLO Procurement Review Group 2,445,000 
			 Support to E2E (End to End) Review of Air and Land Environments 4,985,000 
			 Re-Invigorating SMART Acquisition within the DPA 300,000 
			 Support to the Implementation and Rollout of the DLO Benefits Tracking Tool 360,000 
			 Bridging Consulting Support to E2E Detailed Planning 1,000,000 
			 Support to the Procurement Reform Project 6,996,000 
			 Support to Implementation of E2E Detailed Planning 10,625,000 
			 Support to Eurofighter Project 182,500 
			 Consultancy Support for the Strategic Partner to the DLO Transformation Programme 22,841,280 
			 Consultancy support in applying the principles and techniques of the Lean Process Design to the E2E Support Chain 220,000 
			 Consultancy Support to the Business Management System Review 75,000 
		
	
	Note:
	These figures show the cost of each contract: some contracts are not yet completed and further payments are scheduled.
	Five of these contracts (33 per cent.) were competitively tendered. In addition, seven contracts (47 per cent.) were placed with McKinsey and Co. on a single source basis, since they related to work that had already been placed with the company following competitive tender.
	In addition details of the Department's spend on External Assistance (EA) has been reported to Ministers since 199596 and summaries have been placed in the Library of the House.

Mental Health

Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people left the (a) Army, (b) Navy and (c) Royal Air Force due to mental health problems in each of the last 10 years.

Don Touhig: In the 10 year period 19952004, 1,355 Regular Service personnel were medically discharged from the UK armed forces due to a condition categorised to the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th Revision, Chapter 5 Mental and behavioural disorders. A breakdown by Service and year of medical discharge is provided in Table A.
	
		Table A: UK regular armed forces medically discharged for mental and behavioural disorders, 19952004
		
			 Service Army Naval Service RAF 
		
		
			 Total 840 289 226 
			 1995 79 22 27 
			 1996 49 26 19 
			 1997 88 16 18 
			 1998 98 31 18 
			 1999 58 25 18 
			 2000 64 42 21 
			 2001 103 30 23 
			 2002 112 38 11 
			 2003 86 35 25 
			 2004 103 24 46 
		
	
	Note:
	Medical discharges between the Services should not be compared due to the different fitness levels required by each Service (and within different cadres) and the employment policy of each Service.

Meteorological Office

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State forDefence how many (a) military and (b) civilian weather observation stations and weather centres thereare in the UK, broken down by location; which stations have closed since 2001, broken down by date of closure; and which stations have been identified for closure.

Don Touhig: There are 27 meteorological stations responsible for forecasting and observing based at military locations. Their locations are:
	Scotland
	Kinloss
	Leuchars
	Lossiemouth
	South Uist
	Wales
	Aberporth
	Valley
	England
	Benson
	Boscombe Down
	Brize Norton
	Coltishall
	Coningsby
	Cranwell
	Dishforth
	High Wycombe
	Larkhill
	Leeming
	Linton on Ouse
	Lyneham
	Middle Wallop
	Northolt
	Odiham
	Shawbury
	St. Mawgan
	Waddington
	Wattisham
	Wittering
	Northern Ireland
	Belfastresponsibility for both military and civil forecasting
	There are eight civil forecasting stations:
	Aberdeen Dyce
	Aberdeen
	Cardiff
	Birmingham
	London
	London Heathrow
	London Media
	Manchester
	There are nine civil observation sites:
	Edinburgh
	Eskdalemuir
	Glasgow
	Lerwick
	Camborne
	Crawley
	Lathom
	Tilbury
	Watnall
	The following stations have closed since 2001:
	Boulmer (1 March 2002)
	Bristol (9 May 2001)
	Eskmeals (6 April 2001)
	Glasgow (18 September 2003)
	Kirkwall (1 August 2001)
	Leeds (19 September 2001)
	Manchester Airport (1 November 2004)
	Newcastle (30 July 2001)
	SellaNess (1 April 2004)
	Stornoway (1 September 2002)
	Tiree (1 August 2001)
	The following station closures are planned:
	London Heathrow (November 2005) civil
	Aberdeen Dyce (February 2006) civil
	Coltishall (April 2006) military
	In addition, it is planned to reduce the operation at Eskdalemuir.

Military Afloat Reach and Sustainability Project

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 22 June 2005, Official Report, column 1066, on the Military Afloat Reach and Sustainability project, what the time scale is for the project in terms of (a) main gate approval and (b) an in service date.

Adam Ingram: On current planning we would expect main gate approval for the Military Afloat Reach and Sustainability (MARS) programme to be sought in 2008; the in-service date for the MARS vessels will not be endorsed until the main investment decision is taken at that point.

Military Afloat Reach and Sustainability Project

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 22 June 2005, Official Report, column 1066, on the Military Afloat Reach and Sustainability Project, if he will list the companies who have responded.

Adam Ingram: The following companies have responded as wishing to continue in the competition to select the Integrator for the Military Afloat Reach and Sustainability (MARS) programme:
	Amec
	BAE Systems
	General Dynamics UK
	Houlder Offshore Co.
	KBR
	Maersk
	Raytheon Systems Ltd.
	Thales
	VT Group

Nuclear Deterrent

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 5 July 2005, Official Report, column 260W, whether the maintenance of nuclear weapons by other countries will be a determining factor in the United Kingdom's forthcoming decision about replacing Trident with a new generation nuclear deterrent.

John Reid: As the Government made clear in the 1998 Strategic Defence Review (Cm 3999) and in the December 2003 Defence White Paper (Cm 60411), because of the risks of proliferation of nuclear weapons, and the certainty that a number of countries will retain substantial nuclear arsenals, the UK's minimum deterrent is likely to remain a necessary element of our security.

Nuclear Deterrent

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the cost of a future generation nuclear deterrent will fall on (a) the Exchequer, (b) the Defence Budget and (c) the budget of the single service supplying the deterrent.

John Reid: No decisions on any replacement for the UK's nuclear deterrent have yet been taken, either in principle or in detail. It is therefore too early to speculate on the possible costs of a replacement programme, should one be required, or on how such a programme might be funded.

Nuclear Deterrent

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what discussions (a) he and (b) officials in his Department have had with United States officials regarding the replacement of Trident; whom they involved; when they took place; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what discussions (a) he and (b) officials in his Department have had with (i) UK defence companies and (ii) overseas defence companies regarding the replacement of Trident; whom they involved; when they took place; and if he will make a statement.

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with his US counterparts on the replacement of the Trident nuclear weapons system.

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions his Department has had with US counterparts about the next generation of the UK nuclear deterrent.

John Reid: No decisions have yet been taken on any replacement for Trident. Information obviously needs to be gathered from a variety of sources to support these future decisions, but it is not our general practice to comment on the detail of any such discussions with other Governments and industry.

Nuclear Deterrent

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the 1,050,000,000 to be spent over the next three years on upgrading facilities for the Atomic Weapons Establishment will be relevant (a) only to the existing Trident warhead stockpile and (b) also to a future generation of the UK nuclear deterrent.

John Reid: The additional investment, averaging some 350 million over each of the next three years, is required to enable us to ensure the safety and reliability of Trident throughout its service life. This investment is required irrespective of future decisions on any replacement for the current deterrent system.

Portsmouth Dockyard

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the future of the PRIME project for developing the dockyard in Portsmouth.

Don Touhig: The purpose of project PRIME (thePortsmouth Regeneration and Investment in the Maritime Estate project) was to release part of the Portsmouth naval base estate for development. Work on PRIME has been halted after concerns emerged about the effect that proceeding with the project would have on the base's operational role. A key requirement, stated at the outset of the project, was to safeguard full operational capability of the base. After careful analysis it has been decided that the constraints that a development of this nature, in the heart of the historic dockyard, might place on operational capability outweigh the potential benefits of the scheme. Survey and technical work undertaken by the project will be fully utilised during the exploration of other options for the use of elements of the naval base estate.
	The Ministry of Defence's commitment to Portsmouth, as demonstrated by the move there of the fleet headquarters in 2002, will continue. It is to be the base for the next generation of warships and this represents a major investment that will preserve and enhance jobs in the area and safeguard Portsmouth's role as an operational naval base at the heart of the city's economic activity.

Royal Navy Vessels

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the major Royal Navy vessels available for (a) each standing task and (b) ad hoc tasks.

Adam Ingram: The following major Royal Navy warships are assigned to current military tasks:
	UK Maritime Security: HMS Montrose
	Mediterranean (Nato's Standing NRF Maritime Group 2): HMS Somerset
	Atlantic Patrol Task (South): HMS Portland
	Gulf: HMS Argyll
	Atlantic Patrol Task (North): HMS Liverpool
	Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean: HMS York (double assigned as JRRF unit)
	The following major Royal Navy warships are available to the Joint Rapid Reaction Force at High or Very High Readiness for contingent operations:
	HMS Illustrious
	HMS Ocean
	HMS Albion
	HMS Cumberland
	HMS Campbeltown
	HMS Chatham
	HMS Nottingham
	HMS York
	HMS Exeter
	HMS Westminster
	HMS Sutherland
	HMS St. Albans
	HMS Monmouth
	HMS Lancaster

Royal Navy Vessels

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his latest assessment is of the ability of the Fleet to protect itself against (a) missile and (b) aircraft attack.

Adam Ingram: The Fleet has a very robust defensive system against a variety of missile types. The Sea Dart missile system has recently been upgraded to enable it to combat more challenging threats. The Sea Wolf missile, fitted to RN frigates, is designed specifically to combat sea skimming threats. In addition, a range of decoy systems, provide defence against air and surface launched anti-ship missiles. Further developments in air defence are programmed to be implemented by 2009.
	The air defence of the Fleet is comprised of a layered system based on a mix of early warning and protection systems which includes Sea Dart and Sea Wolf missiles, close-in weapon systems and decoys.

Royal Ordnance

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department uses the Royal Ordnance store in Chorley for holding ordnance.

Adam Ingram: The Ministry of Defence does not use storage facilities belonging to BAE Systems Land Systems (formerly Royal Ordnance) at Chorley.

Royal Ordnance

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  whether the Government will take the date of transfer of the Royal Ordnance Factory Organisation as being the date of sale of that body to British Aerospace in October 1987;
	(2)  whether the Government's responsibilities to former Royal Ordnance Factory employees who are now members of the Royal Ordnance Crown Service Pension Scheme include (a) the benefits of a public-to-private transfer and (b) protections afforded by the Social Security Act 1995.

Adam Ingram: The Royal Ordnance Factories (ROFs) were part of the Ministry of Defence until 2 January 1985, when the property, rights and liabilities were vested in Royal Ordnance plc. At that time ROF employees were given the option of transferring their pension benefits to the Royal Ordnance (Crown Service) Pension Scheme (a scheme comparable with the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme PCSPS) or to preserve their benefits in the PCSPS. The questions of whether the date of transfer is considered to be 1985 or 1987 or whether those transferred are covered by the 1985 Social Security Act are points of law on which independent legal advice should be sought if required.

Second World War (60th Anniversary)

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what financial support he has provided to the Royal Commonwealth Ex-Services League in relation to the commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the end of the second world war.

Don Touhig: The Ministry of Defence has not provided financial support to the Royal Commonwealth Ex-Services League in relation to events commemorating the 60th anniversary of the end of the second world war.
	The MOD provided financial support to those organisations who applied for administrative costs in support of the Veterans Awareness Week which culminated in the events on 10 July 2005 to mark the 60thanniversary of the end of the second world war. We have no record of such an application from the Royal Commonwealth Ex-Services League.

Ships (Fitted Equipment)

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which of the 65 RN and RFA ships which donated ships' fitted equipment between 1 January 2004 and 31 March 2005 remain unavailable for deployment at sea; and for what reason in each case.

Adam Ingram: RN and RFA ships that have donated ship's fitted equipment and remain unavailable for deployment at sea are as follows.
	
		
			  Name of ship Reason for unavailability for deployment 
		
		
			 HMS Ark Royal Upkeep 
			 HMS Bridport Disposal 
			 HMS Cardiff Disposal 
			 HMS Cornwall Upkeep 
			 HMS Edinburgh Upkeep 
			 HMS Glasgow Disposal 
			 HMS Inverness Disposal 
			 HMS Marlborough Disposal 
			 HMS Newcastle Disposal 
			 HMS Norfolk Disposal 
			 HMS Northumberland Upkeep 
			 HMS Richmond Upkeep 
			 HMS Sandown Disposal 
			 RFA Sir Percival Disposal 
			 HMS Splendid Disposal 
			 HMS Talent Upkeep 
			 HMS Tireless Re-validation maintenance period 
			 HMS Triumph Upkeep 
			 HMS Victorious Upkeep 
		
	
	The primary sources of donors for STOROB, the name given to the process of transferring ship's fitted equipment from one vessel to another, are ships in upkeep and those awaiting disposal. None of the ships listed in the table are unavailable for deployment as a result of the STOROB process, but for the other reasons stated.

Special Advisers

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list (a) the special advisers in his Department, (b) their specific areas of expertise and (c) the total cost of employing them in the latest year for which figures are available.

Don Touhig: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 4 July 2005, Official Report, column 35W.

Submarines (SSBNs)

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many warheads are carried by each SSBN on patrol; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: As stated in the Strategic Defence Review, Para. 67, we have only one submarine on patrol at a time, carrying a load of 48 nuclear warheads.

Submarines (SSBNs)

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence in which year each (a) SSBN and (b) SSN is due to be decommissioned; and in which year each replacement submarine is due to enter service.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 20 July 2005
	No decisions have been taken on the out of service dates (OSDs) for the Royal Navy's Vanguard class SSBNs, nor about any potential replacement. The current planned OSDs for the Swiftsure and Trafalgar class SSNs are detailed as follows:
	Swiftsure class SSNs:
	
		
			 OSD SSN 
		
		
			 2006 HMS Sovereign 
			 2008 HMS Superb 
			 2010 HMS Sceptre 
			 2006 HMS Spartan 
		
	
	Trafalgar class SSNs:
	
		
			 OSD SSNs 
		
		
			 2008 HMS Trafalgar 
			 2011 HMS Turbulent 
			 2013 HMS Tireless 
			 2015 HMS Torbay 
			 2017 HMS Trenchant 
			 2019 HMS Talent 
			 2022 HMS Triumph 
		
	
	The new Astute class SSNs will progressively supersede the current capability. The first of class is planned to enter service in 2009.

Submarines (SSBNs)

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence by what means UK submarine-building capacity will be maintained after the completion of the order for three Astute-class boats.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 20 July 2005
	We have already ordered two packages of long-lead items for the fourth Astute boat, and we expect to place contracts for a third package of long-lead items later this year.
	We are working jointly with industry to develop a Maritime Industrial Strategy, as part of a wider Defence Industrial Strategy, which includes work to develop a longer-term solution to maintain the United Kingdom's submarine industrial base.

Surface Fleet

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 28 June 2005, Official Report, column 1400W, on surface fleet, if he will identify each of the 25 destroyers and frigates mentioned on page 18; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 19 July 2005, Official Report, column 1540W, about Royal Navy destroyers and frigates.

Territorial Army

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the strength is of the Territorial Army in (a) Lancashire and (b) Chorley; and how many of these volunteers have served overseas.

Don Touhig: The strength of the Territorial Army in Lancashire is some 540 personnel, of which some 75 are based in Chorley. Since January 2003 some 185 personnel from Lancashire, including some 40 from Chorley, have served overseas.

Territorial Army

David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the Territorial Army in Scotland are stationed in Iraq.

Don Touhig: There are currently some 210 Territorial Army personnel from Scotland mobilised in support of operations in Iraq.

Warship Sales

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessels sold to other countries since 1997; and what sums (a) were spent on preparing each of them for transfer and (b) were received from the purchasing countries as a result of each sale.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 20 July 2005
	The information is not held centrally and is not readily available. Officials are retrieving information from files and once this has been completed I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Withdrawn Military Equipment

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many aircraft (a) were withdrawn from service in 200405 and (b) are planned to be withdrawn from service in 200506, broken down by type.

Adam Ingram: The numbers of aircraft withdrawn from service, or are planned to be withdrawn from service are listed in the following table. The figures include aircraft lost as a result of accidents or during operations and commercially owned military registered (COMR) aircraft.
	
		
			  Aircraft type Withdrawn in 200405 Planned withdrawal in 200506 
		
		
			 Sea Harrier 8 18 
			 Harrier T8  1 
			 Harrier T10 1  
			 Jaguar GR1A 3  
			 Jaguar GR3  1 
			 Jaguar GR3A  32 
			 Jaguar T2A 3 1 
			 Jaguar T4  7 
			 Canberra PR9  5 
			 Canberra T Mk4 2 1 
			 Tornado F3 8 15 
			 Nimrod MR2  (45)5 
			 Hercules C-130K 1  
			 VC10K4  2 
			 VC10 CMklK  1 
			 Jetstream Mkl 11  
			 Tucano 1  
			 Sea King HAS Mk6 1 5 
			 Puma HC Mkl 1  
			 Gazelle AH Mkl 5 3 
			 Lynx HAS Mk3 1 4 
			 Lynx HMA Mk8  3 
			 Lynx AH Mk7 1 3 
			 Lynx AH Mk9  1 
			 Single Squirrel (COMR) 1  
			 Twin Squirrel (COMR)  3 
		
	
	(45)Four aircraft will be converted to Nimrod MRA4. The future of the fifth aircraft has yet to be decided.

TRANSPORT

A2

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what surveys have been undertaken by his Department in the past year of traffic flows on the A2 through Bexley borough.

Stephen Ladyman: DfT has three locations on the A2, in the London borough of Bexley, at which traffic flow counts are conducted. The table provides details on these three locations with the traffic survey 12-hour raw data results for both 2004 and 2005.
	
		
			  Traffic flow 'Count point' 
			  26,102 36,497 6,097 
		
		
			 Date counted in 2004 15 October 23 June (46)not counted 
			 12-hour motorised traffic from 2004 survey(47) 72,892 83,504 n/a 
			 
			 Date counted in 2005 26 April 19 April 9 May 
			 12-hour motorised traffic from 2005 survey(47) 71,741 80,531 84,611 
			 
			 Start of road link Greenwich boundary Junction with A221 Junction with A223 
			 End of road link Junction with A221 Junction with A223 Kent boundary 
		
	
	(46)Not all major road 'Count Point' sites for surveying traffic are included in the sample for the survey every year.
	(47)At each Count point, weekday counts are made of 11 vehicle types for the 12 hours from 7am to 7pm. They are scheduled to minimise the effects of possible seasonal factors etc., by counting during neutral weeks, in March, April, May, June, September and October.
	The 12-hour Road Traffic Survey figures are used to make estimates of the Annual Average Daily Flow (AADF) of traffic on the link. Estimates of AADFs in 2004 were published on 7 July 2005. The estimates for these particular traffic Count Points are given in the following table.
	
		
			  Traffic flow 'Count point' 
			  26,102 36,497 6,097 
		
		
			 Pedal cycles AADF 10 12 13 
			 Motorcycles 2,269 1,793 3,104 
			 Cars and taxis 71,838 84,577 81,555 
			 Buses and coaches 452 794 492 
			 Light goods vehicles 12,070 14,030 14,927 
			 Heavy goods vehicles 4,867 4,811 6,241 
			 All motorised vehicles 91,496 106,005 106,319

A2

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received concerning the A2 in South London during the past 12 months.

Stephen Ladyman: None. The A2 in South London forms part of the Transport for London Road Network (TLRN) and is the responsibility of the Mayor and Transport for London (TfL).

A419/417 (Resurfacing)

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the concrete section of the A419/417 Swindon to Gloucester Road will be resurfaced.

Stephen Ladyman: The concrete section of the A419/417 is in good condition, and is not programmed for resurfacing over the spending review period from 200506 to 200708. When developing the forward maintenance programme, the Highways Agency prioritises the available resources to maintain the network in a safe and serviceable condition, while minimising whole life costs. Concrete sections of trunk roads and motorways will be resurfaced with quieter surfacing when the need for major maintenance works arises on the route concerned.

Air Traffic

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  how many scheduled commercial flights to and from (a) Gatwick airport, (b) Luton airport, (c) Southend airport, (d) City of London airport, (e) Heathrow airport and (f) Stansted airport passed over or within one mile of the boundaries of Hornchurch constituency at an altitude of 8,000 feet or less in each year from 1997 to 2005;
	(2)  how many flights passed over Hornchurch constituency or within one mile of its boundaries, at an altitude of 8,000 feet or less, in the month of June between the hours of 11.00pm and 6.00am; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  which scheduled commercial flightpaths pass over Hornchurch constituency at an altitude of less than 8,000 feet.

Karen Buck: These are operational matters for NATS and information is not readily available in the form requested. I suggest the hon. Gentleman writes to the chief executive of NATS to see what assistance he can be given with his enquiries.

Air Traffic

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many scheduled commercial flights to and from (a) Gatwick airport, (b) Luton airport, (c) Southend airport, (d) City of London airport, (e) Heathrow airport and (f) Stansted airport there were in each year from 1997 to 2005.

Karen Buck: The following table shows scheduled commercial flights to and from Gatwick, Heathrow, London City, Luton, Southend and Stansted airports in each year from 1997 to 2004. Annual data for 2005 are not yet available.
	
		Scheduled commercial flights to and from selected UK airports: 19972004 -- Thousand
		
			  1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 
		
		
			 Gatwick 174.3 186.4 191.5 197.2 189.5 177. 7 180.2 190.3 
			 Heathrow 427.9 439.8 448.1 458.3 456.1 458.4 455.4 467.8 
			 London City 32.0 36.8 41.4 48.9 53:7 52.8 47.8 53.0 
			 Luton 27.6 32.7 40.5 44.4 45.4 47.3 52.1 58.5 
			 Southend(48) 0.1
			 Stansted 66.3 84.4 116.7 128.0 135.6 138.0 156.3 163.9 
		
	
	(48)There were 149 scheduled commercial flights to or from Southend airport in 2001. The number of flights in other years range between four and 36.

Car Clubs

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to evaluate the effects his Department's report Smarter Choices: Changing the Way we Travel and Making Smarter Choice Work and Making Car Sharing and Car Clubs Work havehad on the development of car clubs and car sharing.

Karen Buck: We evaluate as a matter of course the effectiveness of our programmes to promote smarter choices, such as the travelling to school initiative and the sustainable travel towns project. However, it would not be practical or cost-effective to carry out individual evaluations of research reports and good practice guides. We will instead be monitoring the take up of sustainable travel measures as part of our work with local authorities on the development and implementation of local transport plans.

Car Stereos

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take steps to set a maximum volume level for car stereos.

Stephen Ladyman: The Government consider the existing enforcement provisions to be the most suitable means for controlling the volume level for car stereos.

Consultants

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the total expenditure saved in each of the last three years as a result of implementing recommendations by management consultancies within his Department.

Karen Buck: The information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Consultants

Gwyneth Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the costs of consultant fees incurred in connection with the transfer of the Strategic Rail Authority to DfT Rail.

Derek Twigg: Consultants have been used by the Department to help establish the new Rail Group by providing support on programme management, and organisation and process design. The cost is estimated to be 1.25 million excluding VAT.

Container Terminals

Gwyneth Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what volume of traffic from new deep sea container terminals is required to be moved by rail; and how many planning applications for new container terminals are being considered with a view to achieving that volume.

Stephen Ladyman: The extent to which container traffic can be moved by rail for a given port development has to be considered on a case by case basis according to the nature and level of traffic through the port. All of the current planning applications with my Department are being considered on the basis of the rail market share submitted in those applications.

Crossrail

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent research his Department has undertaken into the benefits of Crossrail.

Derek Twigg: holding answer 20 July 2005
	On 5 July 2005, the Secretary of State placed in the Library a paper called Transport, Wider Economic Benefits, and Impacts on GDP. This paper looks at transport schemes more generally but includes an assessment of the benefits of Crossrail, drawing on the economic appraisal for Crossrail carried out by Cross London Rail Linksthe Crossrail development companyand including wider benefits not previously quantified in the Department's appraisal methodology.
	In addition, my Department conducted a modelling exercise in 2003 to examine the potential impact of population and employment growth, land use changes and airport development on the transport networks in South East England in 2016. The results of this exercise, including an assessment of the impact of Crossrail, were placed in the Library on 19 July 2005.

East London Line

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what recent discussions he has had with Transport for London about the disruption to passenger servicesas work progresses on the East London line extensions;
	(2)  what recent discussions he has had with Transport for London concerning the timetable for construction of the East London line extensions and progress on Phase2 of the extensions;
	(3)  what recent discussions he has had with Transport for London on the closure of the central section of the East London line, north of New Cross Gate to Shoreditch, during work on the East London line extensions.

Derek Twigg: Regular meetings are held between the Secretary of State and Transport for London on rail issues but no specific discussions have taken place on the points raised in the questions.

M1

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for what reasons two cameras have been erected on a gantry overhanging the southbound carriageway of the M1 motorway just south of junction 21; whether such cameras are (a) permanent and (b) temporary; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Ladyman: Speed Enforcement Cameras have been erected on the M1, both Northbound and Southbound, between Junctions 20 and 21. These temporary cameras are mounted on distinctive columns that are in the verge and extend over the carriageway, at various locations throughout the length the major maintenance works currently under way on the M1.
	For safety reasons they are designed to ensure that the temporary speed limit of 40 mph is adhered to throughout the length of the works.

M1

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for what reason a speed limit of 40 mph has been imposed on the M1 motorway north of Junction 20 where roadworks are being carried out.

Stephen Ladyman: 40mph speed limit has been imposed for the duration of the works in order to ensure the safety of the travelling public and the workforce, undertaking major maintenance works on the M1 between junction 20 and 21.

M6 (Junction 34)

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his plans are for remodelling and improving safety on junction 34 of the M6 motorway; and what the timescale is for implementation.

Stephen Ladyman: The Highways Agency, which is responsible for the M6 Motorway, has no current plans to remodel junction 34. Scheduled routine maintenance works will be undertaken, and safety will continue to be monitored.

Miss Shriti Vadera

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list (a) discussions and (b) meetings (i) officials and (ii) Ministers in his Department had with Miss Shriti Vadera during 2001, broken down by (A)date and (B) subject.

Derek Twigg: holding answer 19 July 2005
	The information requested could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Motoring Offences

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the new motoring offences created by legislation sponsored by his Department since 1997.

Stephen Ladyman: The expression motoring offences has been interpreted fairly widely and taken to include matters relating to vehicle approvals, construction and use of vehicles, traffic regulation, vehicle licensing and registration, number plates and suppliers thereof, carriage of dangerous goods and radioactive material, private hire vehicles, the wearing of seat belts and the testing for drink and drugs.
	In many cases there is a provision in primary legislation which provides that it is an offence to contravene or fail to comply with statutory instruments made thereunder. Such instruments are listed but only those which were made on or after 29 May 2002 as that was the date on which this Department came into being.
	Similarly, only primary legislative provisions created on or after that date are listed save where regulations listed have an effect upon what may constitute an offence under those provisions.
	The relevant legislative provisions have been placed in the Libraries of the House.

Olympic Games

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the implications are of the successful bid to hold the 2012 Olympic Games in London for the (a) workload and (b) staffing levels of his Department.

Karen Buck: The delivery of a successful Olympic Games in 2012 will be treated like any other Government priority, and resources will be found within existing departmental staffing levels.

Operation Ariel

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list each person in his Department involved in Operation Ariel during 2001; if he will list meetings in relation to the project which representatives of his Department attended; and if he will place the minutes in the Library.

Derek Twigg: holding answer 19 July 2005
	The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Policy Costings

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what costings of (a) Liberal Democrat and (b) Conservative party policies his Department has (i) undertaken, (ii) co-ordinated in the previous 12 months and (iii) advised upon in the previous 12 months.

Karen Buck: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Financial Secretary on 18 July 2005, Official Report, column 1334W.

Port Traffic Forecasts

Gwyneth Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the terms of reference are for work to be carried out by consultants on port traffic forecasts and trans-shipment economic implications.

Stephen Ladyman: A copy of the terms of reference has been placed in the Libraries of the House.

QinetiQ

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the contribution which QinetiQ's scanner technology could make to security on public transport.

Karen Buck: The Department has a continuous programme of assessing how new technology could improve transport security. The Department has supported development of scanner technology over a number of years, both financially and through the provision of operational information.

Rail Freight

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to encourage the transfer of movements of heavy freight loads from road to rail.

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department is taking to make the carriage of freight by rail more attractive.

Derek Twigg: I refer my hon. Friends to the statement the Secretary of State made on 19 July 2005, Official Report, column 7173WS, setting out the Government's policy towards rail freight.

Rail Freight

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will bring forward proposals for legislation to limit track access charges levied by Network Rail in respect of rail freight.

Derek Twigg: Existing legislation already provides for the Office of Rail Regulation to determine and approve the freight access charges levied by Network Rail. In doing so, ORR is required to ensure that the charges are in line with the charging principles in EU Directive 2001/14.
	Rail freight's ability to compete against road and other modes is dependent upon stable and affordable charging for access to the network. The Government supports this and believes it is best achieved through the principle of freight operators paying charges which reflect only the costs that they impose upon the network (in line with the charging principles set out in EU Directive 2001/14). We will therefore work with the rail industry and ORR so that this remains the case.

Rail Projects

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many capital projects in the rail industry worth over 500 million have commenced in London since 1997.

Alistair Darling: The following heavy rail infrastructure projects costing over 500 million have commenced in London since 1997:
	East London line extension
	Channel Tunnel Rail Link
	Southern Power Upgrade/Mark 1 replacement.

Rail Safety (Obstacle Detection)

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  if he will set out the timetable for the Rail Safety and Standards Board's investigation into obstacle detection technologies; and when it will produce its report;
	(2)  if he will list the systems being trialled by the Rail Safety and Standards Board in its investigation into obstacle detection technology for use at unmanned level crossings.

Derek Twigg: The Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) is currently developing a research project on behalf of the rail industry to apply some rigour to the potential application of obstacle detection systems. It is currently planned that the project will produce its report towards the end of summer 2006.
	The RSSB advise that a thorough investigation of the technology available will form part of the research, but at this stage they do not intend to trial any particular system.

Rail Services

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many rail passenger journeys were made between Chelmsford and London-Liverpool Street Station in (a) 1997 and (b) the latest year for which figures are available.

Derek Twigg: holding answer 12 July 2005
	The information requested is not currently available. I will write to the hon. Member in due course as soon as information is available.

Rail Services

Si�n James: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the proportion of commuters using London Paddington to Swansea train services since rail privatisation who travel during peak hours.

Derek Twigg: This information is not held centrally.

Railtrack

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list payments made by his Department to Railtrack in each month between January 2000 and the date of its administration order.

Alistair Darling: holding answer 19 July 2005
	Payments made to Railtrack by the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) and its predecessor the Shadow SRA in this period were as follows:
	
		
			 Month Amount () 
		
		
			 Shadow Strategic Rail Authority  
			 February 2000 2 
			 April 2000 29 
			 June 2000 1 
			 October 2000 1 
			 January 2001 164 
			   
			 Strategic Rail Authority  
			 March 2001 59 
			 April 2001 77 
			 May 2001 22,532 
			 June 2001 27 
			 July 2001 24 
			 September 2001 1,000 
			 October 2001 336,590 
		
	
	The vast majority of Railtrack's income came from access charges levied on train operating companies rather than through direct payments from Government. However, a number of payments were made to the company between January 2000 and September 2001 by the SRA and the Shadow SRA. A number of these, including the payment of 23 million in May 2001, relate to feasibility studies for infrastructure schemes. On 1 October 2001, the SRA paid to Railtrack a Network Grant of 337 million. The Railway Administration Order in relation to Railtrack was made on 7 October 2001.

Railtrack

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment was made by his Department of the West LB bid for Railtrack in April 2002; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Darling: holding answer 19 July 2005
	Officials at the Department for Transport's predecessor had discussions with West LB about its interest in bidding for Railtrack in late 2001 and early 2002. However, West LB did not submit a formal bid for Railtrack.

Railtrack

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list (a) meetings and (b) discussions (i) Ministers and (ii) officials in his Department had with Treasury Ministers and officials during (A) 2001 and (B)2002 concerning railway ownership, broken down by (1) date, (2) attendees and (3) subject; and if he will place the minutes of meetings in the Library.

Derek Twigg: holding answer 19 July 2005
	The information requested could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Railways

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has (a) to reduce overcrowding and (b) to improve punctuality on the East Coast Main Line.

Derek Twigg: The new East Coast Inter City franchise commenced on 1 May 2005. Among the obligations within the new franchise are additional services to Leeds and the development of a study into the electrification of the rail network between Neville Hill and Hambleton South Junction.
	Network Rail (NR), who have the responsibility for route utilisation on the East Coast Main Line, are developing and publishing a full route utilisation (RUS). The RUS will address capacity issues on the ECML. It is planned that NR will consult further on the requirements for the line and are likely to be in a position to publish the results of their work in 12 months.

Railways

Linda Riordan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department is taking to increase capacity on the East Coast Main Line.

Derek Twigg: The new East Coast Inter City franchise commenced on 1 May 2005. Among the obligations within the new franchise are additional services to Leeds and the development of a study into the electrification of the rail network between Neville Hill and Hambleton South Junction.
	Network Rail (NR), who have the responsibility for route utilisation on the East Coast Main Line, are developing and publishing a full Route Utilisation (RUS). The RUS will address capacity issues on the ECML. It is planned that NR will consult further on the requirements for the line and are likely to be in a position to publish the results of their work in 12 months.

Railways

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress has been made on the planned upgrading of the East Coast Main Line, with particular reference to improved station facilities at Peterborough.

Derek Twigg: The new East Coast Inter City franchise commenced on 1 May 2005. Among the obligations within the new franchise are additional services to Leeds and the development of a study into the electrification of the rail network between Neville Hill and Hambleton South Junction.
	Network Rail, who have the responsibility for route utilisation on the East Coast Main Line, are developing and publishing a full route utilisation (RUS). The RUS will address capacity issues on the ECML including at Peterborough station. It is planned that NR will consult further on the requirements for the line and are likely to be in a position to publish the results of their work in 12 months.

Railways

Daniel Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much Government subsidy per passenger mile each UK rail franchise received in the period April 2004 to April 2005.

Derek Twigg: holding answer 19 July 2005
	The subsidies paid to each train operating company (TOC), along with the corresponding passenger kilometres travelled for the period 1 April 2004 to 31 March 2005 are set out in table 6.2b of National Rail Trends which was published by the Strategic Rail Authority on 24 June 2005. That table is reproduced as follows:
	
		Table 6.2b Subsidy per passenger kilometre by train operating company 200405
		
			  Passenger kilometres (million) Subsidy ( million) Subsidy per passenger kilometre (pence) 200304 Subsidy per passenger kilometre (pence) 
		
		
			 Arriva Trains Northern(49) 696.5 112.0 16.1 16.9 
			 Arriva Trains Wales 853.1 93.9 11.0 18.0 
			 C2c 853.2 5.1 0.6 2.4 
			 Central Trains(49) 1,428.2 155.6 10.9 10.8 
			 Chiltern Railways 715.4 14.0 2.0 3.8 
			 First Great Western 2,718.2 (34.6) (1.3) 1.2 
			 First Great Western Link 1,602.2 (9.9) (0.9) (0.5) 
			 First North Western(49) 467.7 99.5 21.3 23.9 
			 First Scotrail(49) 992.6 57.2 5.8  
			 Gatwick Express 227.2 (18.3) (8.1) (6.6) 
			 GNER 4,063.8 (67.0) (1.6) (0.6) 
			 Island Line 6.6 3.2 48.2 46.8 
			 Midland Mainline 1,322.2 (9.0) (0.7) (0.3) 
			 Northern Rail(49) 475.3 81.0 17.0  
			 ONE 3,680.4 (45.0) (1.2)  
			 Scotrail(49) 1,231.1 106.4 8.6 12.9 
			 Silverlink 1,054.3 30.1 2.9 4.9 
			 South Eastern Trains 3,406.9 70.4 2.1 3.8 
			 South West Trains 4,605.8 38.6 0.8 2.7 
			 Southern 2,913.6 71.1 2.4 3.3 
			 Thameslink 1,413.8 (49.7) (3.5) (3.0) 
			 TPE 776.0 43.5 5.6 25.2 
			 Virgin CrossCountry 2,541.7 111.0 4.4 9.2 
			 Virgin West Coast 2,720.6 89.8 3.3 12.1 
			 WAGN 1,388.9 0.5 0.0 0.5 
			 Wessex Trains 462.4 56.0 12.1 17.9 
			  
			 All operators 42,077.8 1,005.4   
			  
			 Average subsidy per passenger kilometre (pence)   2.4 5.0 
		
	
	(49)Operators are part funded by PTEs. Where a PTE retains revenue risk, it pays the gross operating costs less the actual revenue. The subsidy figures in the table are based on the assumed revenue levels, either set out in the Franchise Agreement or based on actuals provided by the PTEs. This, however, may overstate the actual subsidy paid where it has been based on the Franchise Agreement. Actual subsidy per kilometre figures may therefore be less than stated for these operators.
	Notes:
	1.Subsidy figures are stated on a cash basis and exclude any payments under the incentive regimes but include adjustments made to reflect the consequences of the Regulator's charges review. Figures in brackets show where the SRA is in receipt of payments.
	2.200405 represents the period 1 April 2004 to 31 March 2005, with the exception of Arriva Trains Northern, which is from 1 April 2004 to 11 December 2004; First North Western which is from 1 April 2004 to 11 December 2004; Northern, which is from 12 December 2004 to 31 March 2005; ScotRail which is from 1 April 2004 to 16 October 2004; and First Scot Rail, which is from 17 October 2004 to 31 March 2005.
	3.In 200304 franchise was operated by Thames Trains.
	4.200304 represents the period 1 April 2003 to 31 March 2004, with the exception of Arriva Trains Wales, which is from 8 December 2003 to 31 March 2004; South Eastern Trains, which is from 9 November 2003 to 31 March 2004; and TransPennine Express, which is from 2 February 2004 to 31 March 2004.
	5.Merseyrail is not included in this table as it is no longer franchised by the SRA.
	As the notes to this table explain, adjustments to the subsidy profile have been made to reflect the consequences of the ORR's December 2003 Access Charges Review. One of the effects of this review was to allow for some funds which would otherwise have been paid to TOCs from the SRA and then passed through to Network Rail (NR), to be paid by the SRA to NR directly. This had the effect of reducing the subsidy payments made to the TOCs (or increasing the premium payable by them).
	The amount paid direct to Network Rail in the financial year 200405 was around 1.8 billion. Taking this direct funding into account the true subsidy per passenger kilometre for 200405 across the network is around 6.6 pence.

Railways Act (Closures Manager)

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what the purpose is of the appointment of a closures manager under the Railways Act 2005; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what the job description of the closures manager under the Railways Act 2005 is; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: There is not a Closures Manager post in the Department for Transport.

Taxis

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much the Department has spent on taxis in each of the last five years.

Karen Buck: The Department for Transport came into existence on 29 May 2002, following machinery of Government changes. In financial year 200203 the Department spent 74,097.48 on taxis, in 200304 87,140.21, and in 200405 97,853.28. These figures do not include the Department's agencies as they do not record taxi fares separately from other travel costs and the information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Transport Schemes

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much funding has been (a) spent on and (b) committed to transport schemes within each growth area.

Karen Buck: Since 2000 and through to 2010, the current investments and future commitments to transport in the growth areas are as follows:
	
		
			 Growth areas Amount 
		
		
			 Thames Gateway 1.4 billion 
			 Ashford 46 million 
			 Milton KeynesSouth Midlands 1.3 billion 
			 London/Stansted/Cambridge/Peterborough 800 million 
		
	
	These figures cover schemes of over 5 million. However, the investment figures do not include CTRL Domestics services which benefit both Thames Gateway and Ashford growth areas.

Tunnel Collapse (Gerrards Cross)

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  when he expects normal services to be resumed between High Wycombe and Marylebone Station;
	(2)  when he expects a full report to be made to him on the recent collapse of the tunnel under construction at Gerrards Cross Station; if he will publish the report; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  whether passengers delayed as a consequence of the recent collapse of the tunnel under construction at Gerrards Cross Station will be entitled to compensation; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  what estimate he has made of the likely cost of clearing the railway tracks at Gerrards Cross following the recent collapse of the tunnel under construction at that station; and if he will make a statement;
	(5)  by what date he expects the tunnel under construction at Gerrards Cross Station which recently collapsed to be reconstructed; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: holding answer 7 July 2005
	The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is carrying out an investigation into the collapse of the building works over the railway at Gerrards Cross. The HSE will record progress with its investigation on its website, and make public any recommendations made as the investigation proceeds.
	The clear-up operation for the collapsed structure over the railway is being undertaken by Jackson Civil Engineering, the contractor for the store building project, and is being overseen by Network Rail. The final cost of the clear-up operation is not yet known. Approximately 5,000 tonnes of spoil blocked the line and work is under way to remove this. Arrangements are in place for the spoil to be hauled via road to an appropriate facility.
	Network Rail is working with Jackson Civil Engineering to reopen the railway line as quickly as possible. It is currently not possible to make a firm estimate but it is expected that it will be a number of weeks before the line reopens. All current work on site is to clear the debris, establish the safety of the remaining tunnel sections and reopen the line as soon as possible. As far as we are aware no decisions have yet been taken on the future of the site.
	Compensation arrangements will depend on the cause of the incident. Compensation arrangements for passengers are a matter for Chiltern Railways.

Tunnel Collapse (Gerrards Cross)

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what plans he has to investigate the tunnel collapse at Gerrards Cross; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what compensation he expects to be paid to Chiltern Railways for the interruption in service caused by the tunnel collapse at Gerrards Cross.

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what assessment has been made of the timescale for reopening the railway line at Gerrards Cross; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the tonnage of material which will need to be removed to re-open the railway line blocked at Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire; and where it is intended that that material will be taken after removal;
	(3)  what inquiries are being carried out by the Health and Safety Executive into the collapse of the railway tunnel at Gerrards Cross; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is carrying out an investigation into the collapse of the building works over the railway at Gerrards Cross. The HSE will record progress with its investigation on its website, and make public any recommendations made as the investigation proceeds.
	The clear-up operation for the collapsed structure over the railway is being undertaken by Jackson Civil Engineering, the contractor for the store building project, and is being overseen by Network Rail. The final cost of the clear-up operation is not yet known. Approximately 5,000 tonnes of spoil blocked the line and work is under way to remove this. Arrangements are in place for the spoil to be hauled via road to an appropriate facility.
	Network Rail is working with Jackson Civil Engineering to reopen the railway line as quickly as possible. It is currently not possible to make a firm estimate but it is expected that it will be a number of weeks before the line reopens. All current work on the site is to clear the debris, establish the safety of the remaining tunnel sections and reopen the line as soon as possible. As far as we are aware no decisions have yet been taken on the future of the site.
	Compensation arrangements will depend on the cause of the incident. Compensation arrangements for passengers are a matter for Chiltern Railways.

Wheel Detachment Incidents

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  how many road fatalities arising from the loss of road wheels from commercial vehicles occurred in each of the last three years; and how many wheel detachment incidents there were in that period;
	(2)  if he will commission research to establish (a) the level of risk to road users of wheel detachment from commercial vehicles, (b) the efficacy of existing products that aim to prevent such wheel detachment and (c) possible solutions to wheel detachment;
	(3)  what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on (i) the risks to road users of wheel detachment from commercial vehicles and (ii) precautions to prevent such incidents.

Stephen Ladyman: Figures are not currently recorded in the form requested, but the table shows the statistics that are available. It should be noted that there may sometimes be delays in listing figures while the findings of coroners' courts are awaited.
	
		Heavy commercial vehicleswheel detachmentApril 2001 to March 2004
		
			  Wheel detachment cases  Fatalities 
		
		
			 HGV rigids and tractor units 88 0 
			 HGV semi-trailers 7 1 
			 HGV drawbar trailers 6 0 
			 Large passenger vehicles 32 0 
		
	
	Source:
	VOSA Collision database
	The former Department for the Environment, Transport and Regions carried out research into heavy vehicle wheel loss in 1997 in conjunction with the Association of Chief Police Officers. This research led to advice being provided to owners and operators of such vehicles on the benefits of good maintenance and regular effective checking of wheel nuts. A copy of the research report was placed in the House Libraries at the time.
	Products are available in the marketplace that can either indicate loose wheel nuts or possibly prevent the wheel nut from falling from the vehicle. The Department is seeking a better understanding of the potential of these devices for road safety and is in the final phase of placing a new contract to research these matters.

HEALTH

Abortion

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what recent discussions she has had with the leaders of the medical profession about interpretation by them of section 4 of the Abortion Act 1967; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what guidelines her Department (a) has issued and (b) plans to issue to NHS primary care trusts setting out the rights of (i) general practitioners and (ii)nurses under section 4 of the Abortion Act 1967; and if she will make a statement;
	(3)  what guidance her Department has issued to doctors about their right of conscientious objection to taking part in abortion;
	(4)  whether it is her policy to require (a) general practitioners and (b) nurses to sign a declaration that they have no conscientious objection to performing or assisting at an abortion; and if she will make a statement;
	(5)  what guidance her Department issues to doctors with a conscientious objection to abortion regarding transfer of patients to other doctors;
	(6)  when it became a requirement for a physician who intends to rely on section 4 of the Abortion Act 1967 to refer a patient to another physician who does not have a conscientious objection; and if she will make a statement;
	(7)  if she will introduce legislation to amend section 4 of the Abortion Act 1967 to remove the duty on a physician with a conscientious objection to treatment under the Act from referring a patient to another physician who does not have such a conscientious objection; and if she will make a statement;
	(8)  if she will introduce legislation to remove the Proviso in Section 4 of the Abortion Act 1967; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: Section 4 of the Abortion Act 1967, as amended, states that except where treatment is necessary to save the life of or prevent grave permanent injury to the pregnant woman:
	no person shall be under any duty, whether by contract or by any statutory or other legal requirement, to participate in any treatment authorised by this Act to which he has a conscientious objection.
	The House of Lords ruled in 1988 that this exemption does not extend to giving advice, performing the preparatory steps to arrange an abortion where the request meets legal requirements and undertaking administration connected with abortion procedures. Doctors with a conscientious objection to abortion should make their views known to the patient and enable the patient to see another doctor without delay if that is the patient's wish. No recent discussion have taken place between the Secretary of State for Health and leaders of the medical profession on the interpretation of this ruling.
	The General Medical Council's (GMC) booklet, Good Medical Practice, states that general practitioners' views about a patient's lifestyle or beliefs must not prejudice the treatment they provide or arrange. If they feel their beliefs might affect the treatment, this must be explained to the patient, who should be told of their right to see another doctor. Breach of this guidance may expose a doctor to a charge of serious professional misconduct and disciplinary action by the GMC.
	The Department has issued guidance on best practice where there are ethical objections to abortion, through the Recommended Standards for Sexual Health Services, produced for the Department by the Medical Foundation for AIDS and Sexual Health.
	The National Health Service (General Medical Services Contracts) Regulations 2004 include details of additional services, including contraceptive services, which states that:
	where the contractor has a conscientious objection to the termination of pregnancy, prompt referral to another provider of primary medical services who does not have such conscientious objections.
	It is accepted Parliamentary practice that proposals for changes in the law on abortion have come from back-bench members and that decisions are made on the basis of free votes. The Government has no plans to change the law on abortion.

Abortion

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the medical circumstances in which emergency abortions are performed to save the life of the pregnant woman in those cases which have arisen since 2000; and how many times each circumstance has been the main factor.

Caroline Flint: We are unable to provide the information requested due to concerns about issues of privacy and confidentiality.

Abortion

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether she is taking steps to reduce the number of abortions in England.

Caroline Flint: The Government is taking action through the national strategy for sexual health and HIV, the teenage pregnancy strategy and the Public Health White Paper to reduce the number of abortions. We are working to improve access to contraceptive services and the range of methods of contraception that are available. The Public Health White Paper announced a national audit of contraceptive services, backed by new investment of 40 million to address gaps in services. An expert contraceptive services group has been established to advise the Department on taking this work forward. We are also working with the Department for Education and Skills to improve sex and relationships education.

Abortion

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the Government last commissioned research on the safety of the abortion pill mifepristone.

Caroline Flint: As with all marketed medicines, the safety of Mifegyne, mifepristone, an antiprogestogenic steroid that is used for the medical termination of intra-uterine pregnancy, is continuously monitored by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
	Mifepristone was first authorised in the United Kingdom as a prescription only medicine for use under specialist care in July 1991. This followed advice from the Committee on Safety of Medicines. No formal research has subsequently been carried out. The MHRA will continue to monitor the safety of mifepristone.

Abortion

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if she will seek to establish when and how each of the current methods of abortion used in British hospitals and clinics was developed; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what assessment she has made of whether the partial-birth abortion procedure is practised in the UK.

Caroline Flint: The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists' (RCOG) evidence-based clinical guideline, The Care of Women Requesting Induced Abortion, published in 2004, sets out the recommended methods of abortion which practitioners are expected to follow. Any new methods of abortion will be developed and researched in the same way as any other new medical procedure and will be subject to the same safety monitoring and licensing controls.
	Methods of termination are monitored through the forms sent to the Chief Medical Officer by practitioners for every termination of pregnancy they perform. We are not aware of the procedure referred to as partial-birth abortion being used in Great Britain.

Abortion

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average cost of performing an abortion was in (a) national health service hospitals and (b) private hospitals, in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

Caroline Flint: The available information is shown in the table.
	
		National average unit cost of performing an abortion in NHS hospitals and private hospitals
		
			  NHS trusts(50) Non-NHS providers(51) 
		
		
			 200102 441 n/a 
			 200203 486 286 
			 200304 503 332 
		
	
	n/a=not available.
	(50)Data based on admitted activity, excluding excess bed days, in NHS Trusts in England.
	(51)Data based on admitted activity, excluding excess bed days, submitted by NHS trusts and PCTs in England for activity contracted out to or directly commissioned from non-NHS providers. Data received from NHS trusts and PCTs for abortions performed in the independent sector under NHS contract is incomplete and therefore can only provide an indication of the likely cost of abortion performed in the independent sector. The Department of Health does not collect data on the costs of privately funded abortions.
	Source:
	National Schedule of Reference Costs

Abortion

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what her Department's policy on the availability of abortions to girls under the age of 16 without parental knowledge or consent is.

Caroline Flint: In 1985, the House of Lords ruled that young people aged under 16 are legally able to consent to medical advice and treatment, including abortion, if a doctor or other healthcare worker judges them competent to do so. For under 16s seeking an abortion, guidance from the Department emphasises that health professionals should discuss the benefits of the young women involving her parents. Where she cannot be persuaded to do so, every effort should be made to find another adult to provide support, for example another family member or specialist youth worker.

Agenda for Change

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether she has fully funded the NHS for the costs its has incurred from implementing Agenda for Change; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: In England, the Government have made available around 1 billion of extra investment by 200506 to meet the costs of implementing Agenda for Change. This is in addition to money needed to meet the costs of the general pay uplift of around 10 per cent. over three years to 200506, agreed as part of the Agenda for Change package. This is a huge investment and, while we do not underestimate the challenge of implementing Agenda for Change, we believe that this investment is sufficient to fully fund its implementation this year.

Alzheimer's Disease

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions she has had with memory clinics about the impact of withdrawing drug treatments for people with Alzheimer's disease from NHS prescription.

Liam Byrne: None.
	The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence has not issued final guidance on drugs for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Until it does so, the guidance it issued in 2001 remains in force.

Alzheimer's Disease

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many memory clinics there are in England; and what assessment she has made of the likely impact on these services if the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence final guidance recommends that drug treatments for Alzheimer's disease should not be available on the NHS.

Liam Byrne: The Department will not collect this information centrally until the annual mapping of older people's mental health services takes place for the first time later in 2005.
	Responsibility for mental health services rests with local service planners, commissioners and providers, who are best placed to determine the right mix of services based on local priorities and the needs of their local population.
	At the moment, the 2001 National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) appraisal of drugs for Alzheimer's disease is extant. In the light of NICE's announcement on 19 July to embark on a further round of very focused and detailed discussions with key stakeholders, it would be inappropriate to anticipate at this stage what the conclusion of this work will be.

Ambulance Service

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what guidelines have been issued on moving patients with head injuries from Chorley Accident and Emergency to Preston Accident and Emergency by taxi rather than ambulance;
	(2)  if she will ensure that patients are not transported between Chorley and Preston accident and emergency departments in taxis without appropriate escort;
	(3)  under what circumstances taxis may be used to move patients between accident and emergency departments in Lancashire.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 18 July 2005
	It is for the local national health service to ensure appropriate transport and governance arrangements are in place to support the transfer of patients between accident and emergency departments.
	The NHS Modernisation Agency issued Driving Change: Good practice guidelines for Primary Care Trusts on commissioning arrangements for emergency ambulance services and non-emergency patient transport services in September 2004.
	In 1991, the Department issued guidance on Ambulance and other patient transport services: Operation, use and performance standards, which includes reference to performance standards and quality of service issues.
	Copies of both documents are available in the Library.

Ambulance Service

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the powers available to her in relation to the operation of ambulance trusts.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 18 July 2005
	The Secretary of State has the following powers in relation to national health service trusts, including ambulance trusts.
	Under the National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990 (the 1990 Act), the Secretary of State has the power to make regulations about the membership and procedure of NHS trusts. The Secretary of State exercised this power in making the NHS Trusts (Membership and Procedure) Regulations 1990. Under the 1990 Act, the Secretary of State appoints the chairman and the non-executive directors of the trust, although both these functions have been delegated to the NHS Appointments Commission. The Secretary of State also has powers, subject to provisions set out in the 1990 Regulations, to terminate the tenure of office of the chairman and non-executive directors of a trust in certain circumstances.
	The Secretary of State can direct an NHS trust in relation to the exercise of their functions under section17 of the NHS Act 1977 ('the 1977 Act').
	The Secretary of State can dissolve an NHS trust by means of an order if she considers it appropriate in the interests of the health service (under the 1990 Act), subject to the provisions of the NHS trusts (Consultation on Establishment and Dissolution) Regulations 1996.
	The Secretary of State can make an intervention order under section 84A of the 1977 Act if she is of the opinion that the trust is not performing one or more of its functions adequately or at all, or that there are significant failings in the way the body is being run and she is satisfied that it is appropriate for her to intervene. An intervention order may provide for the removal or suspension from office of trust members and their replacement with other specified individuals, or for certain functions to be carried out by a specified individual, or for a function of the trust to be performed in a way that will achieve objectives specified in the directions.
	The Secretary of State can make a default order under section 85 of the 1977 Act where she is of the opinion that a NHS trust has failed to carry out functions conferred on them under the 1977 Act or the 1990 Act or have failed to comply with regulations or directions relating to those functions. The effect of the default order is to terminate the tenure of office of the members of the trust and provide for the appointment of new members and may make such supplementary provision as the Secretary of State deems necessary.

Ambulance Service

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action she is able to take in relation to failing ambulance services.

Liam Byrne: It is for strategic health authorities to decide what support and intervention is necessary in poorly performing national health service organisations.

Avian Influenza

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much money her Department has allocated for the prevention of an epidemic of avian influenza.

Caroline Flint: Preparing for a pandemic, whether it arises from the avian influenza currently circulating in South East Asia or from another strain, is part of the ongoing work of the Department and plans continue to be updated as appropriate. However, although we can prepare for an influenza pandemic, it is highly unlikely that we will be able to prevent it occurring.
	As part of the United Kingdom's preparedness for a flu pandemic, the Department has committed some 200 million and will continue to evaluate what other measures could be taken to further improve our preparedness, such as purchasing specific vaccine against pandemic influenza.

Breast Cancer

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures she has put in place to improve the rate of accuracy of general practitioner breast cancer referrals.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 18 July 2005
	We issued general practitioner (GP) cancer referral guidelines in March 2000 to assist GPs in determining those patients who need to be referred urgently to see a specialist within two weeks, those patients that can be referred for a routine appointment and those who can be safely watched at a primary care level.
	The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence recently reviewed these GP cancer referral guidelines and revised guidelines were published on 22 June 2005.
	The referral guidelines should be used locally to agree criteria and referral pathways. All trusts have been encouraged to undertake local audits to assess the appropriateness of urgent and routine referrals against the guidelines to be fed back to referring GPs.

Care Homes

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps her Department is taking to act on the recommendations of the recent Office of Fair Trading report into the care home sector.

Liam Byrne: The Office of Fair Trading published a report on care homes for older people on 18 May 2005. The report made a number of recommendations to the Government, which the Government are currently considering.

Children's Hospices

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how much her Department has spent on (a) children's hospices and (b) children's palliative care in each of the last five years (i) in real terms and (ii) as a percentage of the overall NHS budget;
	(2)  if she will increase the core funding to children's hospice services from her Department.

Liam Byrne: The Department does not collect information on the funding of children's hospices and palliative care services for children.
	Primary care trusts (PCTs) have received substantial increases in their baseline funding and there is no ceiling to the amount of funding which they can provide for children's palliative care. Children's hospice services are funded from a number of sources, including services commissioned by PCTs based on their assessment of children's needs and their priorities. They are best placed to make decisions on the local needs for palliative care and are able to take into account the needs of individual families and preferences.
	In our ongoing dialogue with representatives of children's hospices, the Department continues to encourage them to engage actively with local national health service bodies over the contribution that hospices can make to the overall pattern of palliative care they commission for children and young people in their localities.
	In our manifesto, we said we would increase the choice for patients with cancer and double the investment going into palliative care services, giving more people the choice to be treated at home.

Children's Oral Hygiene

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to improve children's oral hygiene; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: At a population level, the fluoridation of water supplies offers the most potential for reducing dental disease in children. By reforming the relevant legislation we have given strategic health authorities a realistic option of fluoridating their water, provided they can show they have the support of the local population. In addition, advice on oral health promotion is given in schools and we have piloted the Brushing for Life Scheme in areas with the highest levels of tooth decay including all Sure Start areas which do not receive fluoridated water. The scheme provides for health visitors to give packs containing a toothbrush, a tube of fluoridated toothpaste and a leaflet on oral hygiene to the parents and carers of young children when they attend child health clinics for development checks at eight months, 18 months and three years and above.

Clostridium Difficile

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the terms of reference for the Healthcare Commission investigation into Clostridium difficile at Stoke Mandeville hospital, Buckinghamshire hospitals NHS trust, will be made available.

Jane Kennedy: The Healthcare Commission has today published the Terms of Reference.

Connecting for Health Smartcards

Richard Bacon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which primary care trusts have issued Connecting for Health smartcards with the same PIN number for every user.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 20 July 2005
	A number of smartcards issued during May 2005 by staff acting on behalf of NHS Connecting for Health, in connection with the national programme for information technology, to general practitioners within the Castle Point and Rochford, and the Southend primary care trust (PCT) areas. Though serious in itself, this breach of procedures has not posed a significant risk to the confidentiality of patient information.
	An internal audit inquiry into the circumstances and details of this lapse in security arrangements has been commissioned by the Essex strategic health authority.
	Local procedures have been further tightened to require ensuring smartcard end users change the passcode immediately on receipt of their card, and confirm in writing that this has been done. These will be regularly audited to ensure compliance. NHS Connecting for Health have also initiated a national confidence check' of smartcard registration procedures across all strategic health authorities, re-emphasising the very great importance which is attached to strict adherence to these.

Continuing Care

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on her intention to produce a national approach to continuing care as set out in her Department's press notice of 9 December 2004.

Liam Byrne: The Department is currently working closely with selected stakeholders to produce a national framework for the assessment of continuing care, due for publication in early 2006. This should result in national eligibility criteria and suitable assessment methodologies for access to national health service continuing care. I have received a number of representations about the development of a national framework, all of which will be taken into account in its development. In accordance with Cabinet Office guidelines, we will consult on the official guidance and any legislation required later this year. I expect to make a formal response to the Health Committee report on national health service continuing care before the summer recess.
	Details of the review's progress were presented to the House in a written ministerial statement by my hon. Friend the Member for South Thanet (Dr. Ladyman) on 16 September 2004, Official Report, columns 17577WS.

Counterfeit Medicines

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of (a) the extent of counterfeiting of medicines in England and (b) the impact of parallel trading on the counterfeiting of medicines.

Jane Kennedy: Two counterfeit products were discovered in the legitimate United Kingdom supply chain in August 2004. This was the first time in 10 years that counterfeit products are known to have reached the legitimate UK supply chain. Over 600 million prescriptions are written annually in the UK. Therefore these two discoveries of counterfeit medicines in the small numbers that reached the legitimate UK supply chain, prior to recall, needs to be viewed in that context.
	There is no evidence to suggest that licensed parallel trade provides any more of an opportunity to introduce counterfeit medicines into the country over non-parallel traded products. In both of the recent UK counterfeit medicine cases of August 2004, parallel trade does not appear to be involved.

Data Collection

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 12 July 2005, Official Report, column 985W, who is carrying out work on data collection.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 18 July 2005
	The Department is supplied annually with data from providers of national health service services.

Dentistry

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of people were registered with an NHS dentist in each primary care trust in London at the end of (a) March 1997, (b) March 2001 and (c) March 2005; what percentage of each population this represented in each year; how much was allocated to improve access to NHS dentistry in (i) 200405, (ii)200506, (iii) 200607 and (iv) 200708 in (A) total and (B) per 1000 head of population; how many additional NHS dental patient registrations she expects these resources to provide in (1) 200405, (2) 200506, (3) 200607 and (4) 200708; how many additional whole-time equivalent dentists are expected to become registered in (w) 200405, (x) 200506, (y) 200607 and (z) 200708; and how many NHS dentists there were at 31 December (aa) 1997, (bb) 2001 and (cc) 2004.

Rosie Winterton: The main tables show the percentages of people registered with a national health service dentist in each primary care trust (PCT) in London as at 31 March for the years 2001 and 2005. Data are not available for 1997, as PCTs did not exist then.
	In 200405, the Department allocated a total of 50 million to strategic health authorities (SHAs) to improve access, choice and quality in NHS dentistry. The allocations to the five London SHAs are as follows:
	
		
			 SHA Allocation () 
		
		
			 North Central London 1,374,000 
			 North East London 1,853,000 
			 North West London 1,919,000 
			 South East London 1,664,000 
			 South West London 1,233,000 
		
	
	London SHAs also received resources as a result of the successful personal dental service (PDS) applications in 200405 and 200506. Allocations for 200607 and 200708 have not been made.
	The criteria for distribution from the centre to the SHAs was based on weighted capitation, reflecting population and deprivation. From then, on it is up to individual SHAs to decide how to distribute these funds at a local level.
	General dental service (GDS) patient registration is not the currency used to measure additional expenditure on NHS services.
	In 200405, it was expected that SHAs would use their share of the 50 million resources to expand local services, by the end of October 2005, by the whole-time equivalent of:
	
		
			 SHA Whole-time equivalent 
		
		
			 North Central London 10 
			 North East London 13 
			 North West London 13 
			 South East London 12 
			 South West London 13 
		
	
	No whole-time equivalent target has been set for 200506, 200607, 200708 and no targets or resources have been set for these years.
	The main table also shows the number of dentists by London SHA as at 31 December in the years 1997, 2001 and 2004.
	
		Percentage of people registered with a NHS dentist in each PCT in London as at 31 March each year
		
			  1997 2001 2005(52) 
			  Child Adult All Child Adult All Child Adult All 
		
		
			 North West London SHA 48 54 52 53 41 44 53 41 43 
			 Brent Teaching n/a n/a n/a 57 46 49 56 46 48 
			 Ealing n/a n/a n/a 58 43 46 60 45 49 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham n/a n/a n/a 46 34 36 49 41 42 
			 Harrow n/a n/a n/a 56 38 42 54 39 42 
			 Hillingdon n/a n/a n/a 57 45 48 53 40 43 
			 Hounslow n/a n/a n/a 57 47 50 63 52 55 
			 Kensington and Chelsea n/a n/a n/a 27 21 22 24 18 19 
			 Westminster n/a n/a n/a 51 46 47 42 39 40 
			   
			 North Central London SHA 46 51 50 51 40 42 52 39 41 
			 Barnet n/a n/a n/a 49 29 33 48 29 33 
			 Camden n/a n/a n/a 45 47 47 42 40 40 
			 Enfield n/a n/a n/a 57 36 41 59 39 44 
			 Haringey Teaching n/a n/a n/a 60 48 50 62 49 52 
			 Islington n/a n/a n/a 41 47 46 40 40 40 
			 North East London SHA 40 49 47 45 37 39 45 36 39 
			 Barking and Dagenham n/a n/a n/a 41 35 36 42 35 36 
			 City and Hackney Teaching n/a n/a n/a 28 31 30 26 29 28 
			 Havering n/a n/a n/a 60 43 47 62 42 46 
			 Newham n/a n/a n/a 40 35 36 40 34 36 
			 Redbridge n/a n/a n/a 61 45 49 65 48 52 
			 Tower Hamlets n/a n/a n/a 31 28 28 28 25 26 
			 Waltham Forest n/a n/a n/a 54 39 42 52 38 42 
			   
			 South East London SHA 48 48 48 63 44 49 64 45 49 
			 Bexley n/a n/a n/a   
			 Bromley n/a n/a n/a 56 26 33 60 30 37 
			 Greenwich Teaching n/a n/a n/a 61 38 44 62 41 46 
			 Lambeth n/a n/a n/a 50 45 46 44 37 38 
			 Lewisham n/a n/a n/a 52 42 44 58 46 49 
			 Southwark n/a n/a n/a 44 39 40 46 40 42 
			   
			 South West London SHA 54 48 49 56 15 28 55 34 39 
			 Croydon n/a n/a n/a 56 41 45 55 39 42 
			 Kingston n/a n/a n/a 64 32 39 62 30 37 
			 Richmond and Twickenham n/a n/a n/a 60 28 35 54 21 27 
			 Sutton and Merton n/a n/a n/a 51 37 40 56 40 43 
			 Wandsworth n/a n/a n/a 55 39 42 51 33 36 
		
	
	n/a=Population data not available.
	(52)2003 estimated population figures.
	Notes:
	1.The number of registrations are based on a snapshot of the Dental Practice Board's registration database taken at the end of March each year and subsequent retrospective notifications of changes to registrations have not been included.
	2.An active registration is a patient registered with a dentist at the end of March each year.
	3.Some double counting may occur in the totals when a patient has been newly registered with a dentist in one PCT, but not yet de-registered from a dentist in another PCT. These considerations contribute to some of the month-to-month fluctuations at PCT level.
	4.Most PDS schemes that have registrations have a re-registration period in excess of 15 months, so the figures for PDS schemes are generally higher than they would have been for the same attendance pattern under GDS.
	5.Some PDS schemes do not have any registrations, e.g. dental access centres and will not therefore be included in these figures.
	6.A dentist with a GDS or PDS contract may provide as little or as much NHS treatment as he or she chooses or has agreed with the PCT.
	7.The Dental Practice Board has no information concerning the amount of time dedicated to NHS work by individual dentists.
	8.The patients' registrations have been allocated to areas according to the postcode of the dentist's surgery.
	9.The areas have been defined using practice postcodes within the current boundaries.
	10.There are a small number of unallocated registrations.
	
		Number of NHS dentists with GDS and PDS in London as at 31 December
		
			   1997 2001 2004 
		
		
			  North West London SHA 1,025 1,076 1,086 
			 5K5 Brent Teaching 161 166 176 
			 5HX Ealing 214 198 191 
			 5H1 Hammersmith and Fulham 133 162 153 
			 5K6 Harrow 106 122 130 
			 5AT Hillingdon 106 114 129 
			 5HY Hounslow 143 155 143 
			 5LA Kensington and Chelsea 86 86 92 
			 5LC Westminster 212 212 198 
			  
			  North Central London SHA 637 722 734 
			 5A9 Barnet 182 204 200 
			 5K7 Camden 153 167 169 
			 5C1 Enfield 114 136 164 
			 5C9 Haringey Teaching 129 129 137 
			 5K8 Islington 89 141 121 
			  
			  North East London SHA 529 601 664 
			 5C3 City and Hackney Teaching 100 87 89 
			 5C4 Tower Hamlets 65 71 97 
			 5A4 Havering 84 106 116 
			 5C5 Newham 83 91 101 
			 5NA Redbridge 109 146 147 
			 5C4 Tower Hamlets 65 71 97 
			 5NC Waltham Forest 81 90 106 
			  
			  South East London SHA 626 666 713 
			 TAK Bexley 88 89 99 
			 5A7 Bromley 139 156 169 
			 5A8 Greenwich Teaching 95 103 116 
			 5LD Lambeth 132 140 153 
			 5LF Lewisham 112 131 120 
			 5LE Southwark 109 101 108 
			  
			  South West London SHA 636 699 714 
			 5K9 Croydon 176 178 201 
			 5A5 Kingston 69 73 80 
			 5M6 Richmond and Twickenham 96 107 116 
			 5M7 Sutton and Merton 166 193 204 
			 5LG Wandsworth 162 177 158 
		
	
	Notes:
	1.The figures are based on the numbers of dentists with open GDS or PDS contracts.
	2.The dentists include principals, assistants and trainees.
	3.Prison contracts have not been included in this analysis.
	4.The figures provide a snapshot of the number of individual dentists with an open contract at 31 December.
	5.A dentist with a GDS or PDS contract may provide as little or as much NHS treatment as he or she chooses or has agreed with the PCT.
	6.The Dental Practice Board has no information concerning the amount of time dedicated to NHS work by individual dentists.
	7.The figures provide an accurate figure taking into account any notifications received up to 31 January 2005.
	8.The figures given by PCT and SHA include all dentists practising in that area.
	9.Some dentists may have an open GDS or PDS contract in more than one PCT or SHA and therefore they will appear in the figures for each PCT in which they practise.

Dentistry

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the local distance standards for access to NHS dentistry are for each primary care trust; and what (a) maximum and (b) average distance patients in England are expected to travel to receive NHS dental care under locally agreed standards.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested has been placed in the Library.

Dentistry

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many calls to NHS Direct about access to an NHS dentist there were in (a) England and (b) each strategic health authority in each month since November 2001, broken down by (i) emergency, (ii) urgent, (iii) routine and (iv) other calls.

Rosie Winterton: Calls to NHS Direct about access to a national health service dentist in each month since November 2001 by emergency, urgent, routine and other are shown in the table. The information relates to England only. Similar information for each strategic health authority area is not routinely collected.
	
		Number
		
			  Total Emergency Urgent Routine Not known 
		
		
			 November 2001 10,922 1,143 2,542 6,546 691 
			 December 2001 10,023 1,456 3,274 4,482 811 
			 January 2002 13,064 1,605 3,078 7,124 1,257 
			 February 2002 10,316 1,073 2,902 5,535 806 
			 March 2002 13,336 1,061 3,849 6,742 1,684 
			 April 2002 15,472 1,666 4,241 8,322 1,243 
			 May 2002 15,693 1,506 4,287 8,361 1,539 
			 June 2002 14,726 1,551 4,598 7,145 1,432 
			 July 2002 16,032 1,539 4,164 8,827 1,502 
			 August 2002 15,797 1,584 4,646 8,303 1,264 
			 September 2002 14,862 1,387 3,886 8,229 1,360 
			 October 2002 15,912 1,409 3,457 9,671 1,375 
			 November 2002 15,770 1,456 3,381 9,505 1,428 
			 December 2002 14,629 1,729 4,308 7,149 1,443 
			 January 2003 17,860 1,614 3,648 10,952 1,646 
			 February 2003 13,576 1,220 3,075 7,968 1,313 
			 March 2003 15,325 1,416 3,407 9,093 1,409 
			 April 2003 15,863 1,399 3,510 9,446 1,508 
			 May 2003 16,257 1,471 3,977 9,307 1,502 
			 June 2003 17,404 1,563 3,823 10,485 1,533 
			 July 2003 19,012 1,581 4,192 10,723 2,516 
			 August 2003 18,016 1,806 4,201 10,471 1,538 
			 September 2003 19,472 1,708 4,117 11,350 2,297 
			 October 2003 19,829 1,529 3,733 10,905 3,662 
			 January 2004 19,702 1,462 3,613 12,726 1,901 
			 February 2004 18,258 1,575 3,653 11,312 1,718 
			 March 2004 19,330 1,392 3,503 12,506 1,929 
			 April 2004 16,383 1,395 2,680 10,559 1,749 
			 May 2004 16,202 1,762 3,949 8,701 1,790 
			 October 2004 23,850 2,649 4,431 14,426 2,344 
			 November 2004 23,117 2,158 4,059 14,035 2,865 
			 December 2004 19,550 2,603 4,602 10,206 2,139 
			 January 2005 20,440 2,020 3,215 12,734 2,471 
			 February 2005 17,224 1,619 2,342 11,584 1,679 
			 March 2005 17,547 1,725 2,739 11,318 1,765 
			 April 2005 19,753 1,845 2,890 12,844 2,174 
		
	
	Notes:
	1.Routine includes calls requesting routine information only about where to find a dentist and calls requesting routine dental health advice and information about where to find a dentist.
	2.Data for November and December 2003 and June to September 2004 is not available.

Dentistry

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many dentists in Greater London have live personal dentist service contracts; how many dentists in Greater London have applied for personal dentist service contracts; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: As of 31 May 2005, there are 119 personal dental service (PDS) contracts operating in Greater London. As of 30 June 2005, there are 221 applications for PDS contracts which had been made to the Department.

Dentistry

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Healthhow many graduates in dentistry qualified in (a) 200304 and (b) 200405.

Rosie Winterton: In England 578 dental students graduated in 200304. The provisional figure for 200405 is 588.

Dentistry

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many dentists there are in (a) England and (b) each strategic health authority (i) in total and (ii)who are recorded on NHS.UK as accepting new NHS patients.

Rosie Winterton: Information on the number of dentists in the United Kingdom, by strategic health authority (SHA) is shown in the table.
	Information about dentists taking on new national health service patients is not centrally collected. However, some information about dental practices within primary care trusts (PCTs) currently taking on new NHS patients can be found on the NHS website at http://www.nhs.uk/England/AuthoritiesTrusts/Pct/list. aspx
	Not all dentists who are accepting new patients indicate this on NHS.UK. However PCTs and NHS Direct are able to provide this information to local people.
	
		General dental service (GDS) and personal dental service (PDS), number of dentists in England by SHA area as at 31 March 2005
		
			   Number 
		
		
			 England  20,088 
			
			 Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire SHA Q20 993 
			 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire SHA Q02 841 
			 Birmingham and The Black Country SHA Q27 880 
			 Cheshire and Merseyside SHA Q15 1,020 
			 County Durham and Tees Valley SHA Q10 411 
			 Cumbria and Lancashire SHA Q13 746 
			 Dorset and Somerset SHA Q22 521 
			 Essex SHA Q03 628 
			 Greater Manchester SHA Q14 1,032 
			 Hampshire and Isle of Wight SHA Q17 771 
			 Kent and Medway SHA Q18 644 
			 Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland SHA Q25 535 
			 Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire SHA Q01 883 
			 North and East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire  SHA Q11 629 
			 North Central London SHA Q05 743 
			 North East London SHA Q06 679 
			 North West London SHA Q04 1,101 
			 Northumberland, Tyne and Wear SHA Q09 567 
			 Shropshire and Staffordshire SHA Q26 571 
			 South East London SHA Q07 708 
			 South West London SHA Q08 717 
			 South West Peninsula SHA Q21 738 
			 South Yorkshire SHA Q23 500 
			 Surrey and Sussex SHA Q19 1,388 
			 Thames Valley SHA Q16 1,107 
			 Trent SHA Q24 948 
			 West Midlands South SHA Q28 683 
			 West Yorkshire SHA Q12 800 
		
	
	Notes:
	1.The figures given by SHA include all dentists practicing in that area. Some dentists may have an open GDS or PDS contract in more than one SHA and therefore have been counted more than once. Therefore the England figure is not a sum of SHA totals.
	2.Prison contracts have been excluded.
	3.The areas have been defined using practice postcodes within the specified areas.
	Source:
	Dental Practice Board.

Dentistry

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Healthwhich primary care trusts do not comply with (a) clinical and (b) distance standards for providing full access to NHS dentistry.

Rosie Winterton: Primary care trusts (PCTs) are responsible for setting local distance standards for access to dentistry, and for monitoring these standards. Information on each PCTs performance against its own local standards is not collected centrally.
	There are currently no clinical standards for national health service dentistry that PCTs are monitored against.

Dentistry

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidelines have been provided to NHS dentists regarding the cost of dentures.

Rosie Winterton: The statement of dental remuneration issued under the NHS General Dental Services regulations 1992 provides for the following payments shown in the table.
	
		
		
			  Type of denture  Synthetic resin Chrome cobalt or stainless steel 
		
		
			 Dentists fee 158.10 279.60 
			 Patient charge(53) 126.48 222.88 
			 Total received by dentist 284.58 502.48 
		
	
	(53)Where the patient is exempt from dental charges the dentists receives the full amount from national health service funds.

Dentistry

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of children (a) under the age of five years and (b) under the age of 10 years have experienced (i) tooth decay and (ii) one or more fillings in each year since 198586; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 18 July 2005
	The available information, which is shown in the following tables, compares the results of the decennial child dental health surveys carried out in 1983, 1993 and 2003 and shows a very encouraging improvement in the oral health of children.
	
		Table 1: Proportion of children with obvious decay experience in primary teeth by age (United Kingdom, 1983, 1993, 2003) -- Percentage of children
		
			  Aged 
			 Tooth condition Five Eight 
		
		
			 Decay into dentine   
			 1983 41 49 
			 1993 40 50 
			 2003a(54) 40 51 
			 2003b(55) 40 50 
			
			 Filled (otherwise sound)   
			 1983 23 47 
			 1993 15 33 
			 2003a(54) 11 24 
			 2003b(55) 12 26 
			
			 Obvious decay experience   
			 1983 50 70 
			 1993 45 61 
			 2003a(54) 43 57 
			 2003b(55) 43 57 
			
			 Filled teeth as a percentage of obvious decay experience 
			 1983 28 50 
			 1993 17 35 
			 2003a(54) 13 24 
			 2003b(55) 15 28 
		
	
	(54)Criteria used for 2003 survey: d3cv mft (decayed, missing, or filled teeth) includes visual caries.
	(55)Criteria used for 1993 survey:d 3 c mft does not include visual caries.
	
		Table 2: Proportion of children with obvious decay experience in permanent teeth by age (United Kingdom, 1983, 1993, 2003) -- Percentage of children
		
			  Aged 
			 Tooth condition Eight 12 15 
		
		
			 Decay into dentine
			 1983 19 32 42 
			 1993 12 24 30 
			 2003a(56) 14 29 32 
			 2003b(57) 7 12 13 
			 
			 Filled (otherwise sound)
			 1983 25 69 85 
			 1993 8 39 52 
			 2003a(56) 7 25 41 
			 2003b(57) 7 26 42 
			 
			 Missing due to decay
			 1983 2 14 24 
			 1993 1 7 7 
			 2003 1 3 6 
			 
			 Obvious decay experience
			 1983 38 81 93 
			 1993 19 52 63 
			 2003a(56) 19 43 57 
			 2003b(57) 14 34 49 
			 
			 Filled teeth as a percentage of obvious decay experience 
			 1983 58 70 74 
			 1993 37 58 68 
			 2003a(56) 30 46 57 
			 2003b(57) 52 69 77 
		
	
	(56)Criteria used for 2003 survey: D3cv MFT (decayed, missing or filled teeth) includes visual caries.
	(57)Criteria used for 1993 survey: D 3 c MFT excludes visual caries.

Dentistry

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many complaints her Department has received regarding access to dental care since 1997.

Rosie Winterton: The Department's correspondence system does not separate complaints from other forms of correspondence. Since the present record system began in December 2001, we have received 4,309 pieces of correspondence on access to dentistry. This number represents 1.75 per cent, of all correspondence received by the Department in that period.

Disability in Unborn Babies

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance her Department issues to women expecting a baby on the definition of disability.

Liam Byrne: The Department does not issue such guidance to pregnant women. The Department does however produce the 'Pregnancy Book', which is given to all first time mothers. The book contains a very broad range of information, including what to do if you are worried about having a baby with an abnormality. The book encourages women to discuss any concerns that they may have during their pregnancy with an appropriate health professional, given that advice, support and counselling may be required by the woman.
	The Government subscribes to the social model of disability; that disability is defined as the disadvantage experienced by an individual as a result of barriers that impact on people with impairments and ill health.

Doctors

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) junior house officers and (b) senior house officers employed in the most recent year for which figures are available did not receive their degree in medicine from a UK higher education institution.

Liam Byrne: The number of medically qualified pre-registration house officers and senior house officers and equivalents, employed in the national health service in England at 30 September 2004, whose primary medical qualification was from a higher education institution outside the United Kingdom, was 630 and 9,362 respectively.

Doctors

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the likely impact of Article III-379 of the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe on the implementation of a 48-hour week for doctors; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: Article III-379 relates to the general powers of the Court of Justice of the European Union. It is not specific to the Working Time Directive. This Article replicates Article 242 of the Treaty of Rome and does not give rise to any new considerations.

Emergency Contraception

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many morning-after pills have been distributed by Oxford Primary Care Trust in each of the last 48 months.

Caroline Flint: The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		British National Formulary nameLevonorgestrel
		
			 Period name Total items Total act cost () 
		
		
			 June 2001 132 676.61 
			 July 2001 70 353.85 
			 August 2001 75 377.95 
			 September 2001 92 469.83 
			 October 2001 213 1,072.47 
			 November 2001 201 979.15 
			 December 2001 94 450.64 
			 January 2002 147 705.03 
			 February 2002 166 795.20 
			 March 2002 155 785.05 
			 April 2002 98 479.84 
			 May 2002 176 884.09 
			 June 2002 123 579.85 
			 July 2002 108 558.01 
			 August 2002 67 367.53 
			 September 2002 84 439.80 
			 October 2002 120 619.12 
			 November 2002 194 1,156.24 
			 December 2002 109 602.07 
			 January 2003 112 700.08 
			 February 2003 167 955.06 
			 March 2003 107 1,144.72 
			 April 2003 115 697.73 
			 May 2003 178 1,032.09 
			 June 2003 163 873.86 
			 July 2003 102 630.91 
			 August 2003 74 414.22 
			 September 2003 150 828.03 
			 October 2003 152 924.92 
			 November 2003 157 924.54 
			 December 2003 117 632.91 
			 January 2004 138 723.20 
			 February 2004 146 783.14 
			 March 2004 144 743.98 
			 April 2004 150 813.48 
			 May 2004 149 900.66 
			 June 2004 170 907.13 
			 July 2004 91 476.12 
			 August 2004 99 522.68 
			 September 2004 81 457.55 
			 October 2004 180 1,000.29 
			 November 2004 184 1,076.72 
			 December 2004 150 848.09 
			 January 2005 96 575.30 
			 February 2005 128 658.32 
			 March 2005 135 673.38 
			 April 2005 158 823.84 
			 May 2005 155 815.72 
		
	
	Notes:
	ePACT Data
	1.This information was obtained from the Prescribing Analysis and Cost (PACT) system, which covers prescriptions prescribed by GP practices in England and dispensed in the community in the UK. Prescriptions written within a GP practice but dispensed outside the primary care trust will be included in the PCT in which the GP practice is based.
	2.Prescriptions written in England but dispensed outside England are included. Prescriptions written in hospitals/clinics that are dispensed in the community, prescriptions dispensed in hospitals and private prescriptions are not included in PACT data. It is important to note this as some BNF sections have a high proportion of prescriptions written in hospitals that are dispensed in the community. For example, BNF chapter 4, Central Nervous System has a fair proportion of items written in mental health clinics that are dispensed in the communitythese prescriptions are not included in the PACT data.
	Source:
	Based on the Selections:
	PCT Oxford City
	for National at Summary Level Selected Organisations
	Levonorgestrel
	for BNF at Summary Level Selected Drugs.
	Date produced 13 July 2005.

Emergency Contraception

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much Oxford Primary Care Trust has spent training pharmacists in the use of the morning-after pill in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and how much they plan to spend in each of the next three years.

Caroline Flint: The Department does not collect these figures.
	Oxford Primary Care Trust (PCT) organised a sponsored training event in 2004. Each pharmacy receives a set-up fee of 100 which includes attending a training event. The PCT has paid 400 to date as four pharmacies have taken part.

Emergency Contraception

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance her Department (a) has issued and (b) plans to issue to (i) general practitioners and (ii)pharmacists regarding the availability of emergency contraception over the counter without prescription from dispensing chemists.

Caroline Flint: The Department has not, and does not plan to issue guidance to general practitioners regarding the availability of emergency contraception over the counter without prescription from dispensing chemists.
	Guidance for pharmacists on emergency hormonal contraception is available in the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain's practice guidance, which is regularly reviewed and updated.

Emergency Contraception

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what measures are in place to ensure that a woman's medical history is known before she is prescribed the morning-after pill;
	(2)  what follow-up care is available to women prescribed the morning-after pill; and if she will make a statement;
	(3)  whether she defines the morning-after pill as an abortifacient; and if she will make a statement;
	(4)  what assessment she has made of the impact of the morning-after pill on the abortion rate;
	(5)  if she will consider the hearings and report from the United States Senate Judiciary Committee on the Human Life Bill of the 97th Congress;
	(6)  for what reasons her Department promotes the morning-after pill as a way to reduce the rate of teenage pregnancies.

Caroline Flint: The Faculty of Family Planning and Reproductive Health Care published guidance on emergency contraception. Updated in June 2003, this includes information and recommendations on the aftercare and follow up required for women receiving emergency contraception, including Levonorgestrel, and the clinical examination and investigation needed before emergency contraception is provided. In addition, guidance about the possible side effects associated with taking emergency contraception is provided in the patient information leaflet included in the medicine pack. The possible side effects of the emergency contraceptive, Levenorgestrel, are also included in the information that is provided to health professionals (the summary of product characteristics), who are encouraged to discuss these side effects with the individual before treatment is provided. Pharmacists are supplied with a protocol that contains a checklist of advice that should be given to each individual when she is given Levenorgestrel, which includes the side effects which may occur.
	I understand that the United States Senate Judiciary Committee on the Human Life Bill of the 97th Congress concerned the provision that human life shall be deemed to exist from conception. This issue was considered as part of the same High Court hearing which found that emergency hormonal contraception is not a method of abortion. This issue was considered in 2002 in the High Court, where it was found that the supply and use of emergency contraception is lawful and that the prevention of implantation, which is brought about by emergency contraception products, does not amount to procuring a miscarriage under the 1861 Offences Against the Person Act.
	We are not aware of any research that has been undertaken which assesses the impact of the wider availability of emergency contraception, also known as the morning after pill, on the abortion rate. Variations in the abortion rate are subject to a number of different factors, including the conception rate.
	Improving access to a wide variety of contraceptive methods is an important part of the Government's strategy to reduce the numbers of unintended pregnancies, including teenage pregnancies. However, the Government does not promote any one method of contraception in preference to others. The type of method used should be chosen by the women, in consultation with a health care professional. Emergency contraception is not designed to be used as a regular method of contraception.

Ethical Recruitment

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many recruitment agencies have been removed from the list of recruitment agencies complying with the code of practice on international recruitment since 2001;
	(2)  if she will estimate the number and proportion of recruitment agencies in England that are on the list of agencies which adhere to the code of practice on international recruitment.

Liam Byrne: The number of agencies listed as compliant with the code of practice is 233. Data that identify the number of agencies supplying the national health service are not collected centrally.
	Between early 2001 and July 2005, seven agencies were removed from the list of agencies compliant with the code.
	All NHS employers are strongly commended to adhere to the code of practice in all matters concerningthe international recruitment of healthcare professionals across all disciplines.

EU Clinical Trials Directive

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what policy considerations underlay the full implementation of the EU Clinical Trials Directive.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 20 July 2005
	The Government's policy to protect public health includes the protection of the rights, safety and wellbeing of people who participate in clinical trials that test the safety and efficacy of essential new medicines for those with disease. The Clinical Trials Directive (2001/20/EC) underpins this policy throughout the European Union by introducing a statutory basis for international standards of good clinical practice for commencing, conducting and verifying the results of clinical trials, for good manufacturing practice that provides assurance of the quality of medicines being tested, inspection against these standards and enforcement for non-compliance. Many of the requirements of the Directive were already accepted standards for governance of research in the United Kingdom before it was implemented by the Medicines for Human Use (Clinical Trials) Regulations 2004.

Foetal Viability

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the earliest gestational age at which an unborn child may be capable of being born alive.

Caroline Flint: The Births and Deaths Registration Act 1953, as amended, provides for the registration of babies born dead after 24 weeks gestation and this is described as the legal age of viability. Guidance from the British Association of Perinatal Medicine introduces the concept of a threshold of viability as being from 22 to 26 weeks gestation. Although the possibility of survival of extremely pre-term babies has improved, data suggests that, even with modern intensive care, chances of survival at 22 weeks gestation are only approximately 1 per cent., whereas this increases to 26 per cent. at 24 weeks. A recent briefing paper from the British Medical Association, Abortion time limits, highlighted that gestational age is not the only factor that affects the possibility of a foetus being considered viable.

Food Supplements Directive

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reasons the Food Supplements Directive wasnot discussed at the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council meeting on 2 and 3 June.

Caroline Flint: The Food Supplements Directive was not on the agenda for the Health Council on 2 and 3 June. I have spoken to the Commissioner for Health and Consumer Affairs for the European Commission regarding the directive. We are, of course, in close communication with the Commission and are encouraged with the constructive responses we have been getting.
	We have made clear that we want consumers to continue to have a wide choice of supplements. At the same time, consumers need the information to make their choice an informed one.

Foreign Animal Species

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Healthhow many cases of illness due to exposure to foreign animal species have been reported in each of the last five years; and what species were involved in each case.

Caroline Flint: The Department does not have ready access to the information requested. The Health Protection Agency holds surveillance information for several zoonotic diseases, including food poisoning, but will not usually be able to relate this directly to exposure to foreign animal species. For diseases where this can be done, such as rabies and anthrax exposure, the figures for the United Kingdom are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Rabies Anthrax 
		
		
			 2000 0 0 
			 2001 2 2 
			 2002 1 0 
			 2003 0 0 
			 2004 0 0 
		
	
	For both the rabies cases in 2001, these were acquired abroad and were due to direct exposure to infected dogs. Both patients died. The rabies case in 2002 was also fatal. It was due to direct exposure within the UK to a species of bat which also occurs abroad. Both the cases of anthrax recovered following treatment and were due to exposure within the UK to infected animal skins, though the species of animal is not known.

General Practitioners

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 8 June 2005, Official Report, columns 58687W to the hon. Member for Northavon (Steve Webb) on general practitioner appointments, what plans she has to redraft the general practitioners' contract to address problems encountered by patients who are unable to book appointments in advance.

Liam Byrne: A review of the current general practice contractual framework is being undertaken by the NHS Employers Organisation.

General Practitioners

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 12 July 2005, Official Report, column 974W, on general practitioner practices, and what the average list size is of general medical practitioners in England.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 19 July 2005
	Since the introduction of the new general medical service contract in April 2004, patients have registered with the practice rather than the practitioner. The average number of patients per practitioner, excluding retainers and registrars, is described as the number of patients for whom the partnership is responsible divided by the number of practitioners, excluding general practitioner registrars and retainers, who belong to or work in that partnership. This figure for England as at 30 September 2004 was 1,666.

General Practitioners

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) general practitioner surgeries and (b) single-handed general practitioner surgeries there were in each of the last five years for which figures are available, broken down by (i) region and (ii) health authority.

Liam Byrne: The information requested is available by strategic health authority (SHA), but not by primary care trust (PCT) area. This information is shown in the tables.
	
		GP practices(58) by specified partnership size, by strategic health authority, 19992004 -- Number count
		
			   1999 2000 2001 
			   Practices Single handed GP practices Practices Single handed GP practices Practices Single handed GP practices 
		
		
			  England 9,034 2,721 8,965 2,662 8,910 2,626 
			 
			  North East 415 100 407 92 408 86 
			 Q9 Northumberland Tyne and Wear, 243 58 240 54 240 51 
			 Q10 County Durham and Tees Valley 172 42 167 38 168 35 
			 
			  North West 1,423 478 1,424 484 1,398 470 
			 Q13 Cumbria and Lancashire 387 129 382 128 378 125 
			 Q14 Greater Manchester 587 220 590 224 572 211 
			 Q15 Cheshire and Merseyside 449 129 452 132 448 134 
			 
			  Yorkshire and the Humber 889 255 877 249 878 243 
			 Q11 North and East Yorkshire and Northern Lincoln 268 69 263 69 265 70 
			 Q12 West Yorkshire 388 120 382 115 384 114 
			 Q23 South Yorkshire 233 66 232 65 229 59 
			  East Midlands 663 162 653 150 653 145 
			 Q24 Trent 431 101 428 94 427 92 
			 Q25 Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland 232 61 225 56 226 53 
			 
			  West Midlands 1,061 385 1,052 373 1,050 386 
			 Q26 Shropshire and Staffordshire 274 97 272 99 272 105 
			 Q27 Birmingham and The Black Country 543 240 537 228 536 236 
			 Q28 West Midlands South 244 48 243 46 242 45 
			 
			  East of England 823 185 830 197 819 194 
			 Q01 Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire 306 37 308 39 309 44 
			 Q02 Bedford and Hertfordshire 232 48 233 52 231 54 
			 Q03 Essex 285 100 289 106 279 96 
			 
			  London 1,729 753 1,711 737 1,713 739 
			 Q04 North West London 471 216 466 217 469 210 
			 Q05 North Central London 306 142 308 144 309 140 
			 Q06 North East London 384 186 382 182 384 196 
			 Q07 South East London 311 125 305 115 307 117 
			 Q08 South West London 257 84 250 79 244 76 
			 
			  South East 1,257 298 1,238 274 1,224 266 
			 Q16 Thames Valley 306 52 302 49 297 40 
			 Q17 Hampshire and isle of Wight 243 30 241 27 239 26 
			 Q18 Kent and Medway 317 129 309 116 308 118 
			 Q19 Surrey and Sussex 391 87 386 82 380 82 
			 
			  South West 774 105 773 106 767 97 
			 Q20 Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire 330 46 329 48 328 46 
			 Q21 South West Peninsula 257 32 257 31 254 29 
			 Q22 Somerset and Dorset 187 27 187 27 185 22 
		
	
	
		Number count
		
			   2002 2003 2004 
			   Practices Single handed GP practices Practices Single handed GP practices Practices Single handed GP practices 
		
		
			  England 8,833 2,566 8,833 2,578 8,542 2,285 
			 
			  North East 407 83 409 91 406 91 
			 Q9 Northumberland, Tyne and Wear 238 46 241 54 237 56 
			 Q10 County Durham and Tees Valley 169 37 168 37 169 35 
			  North West 1,377 460 1,361 442 1,327 424 
			 Q13 Cumbria and Lancashire 370 119 362 116 356 113 
			 Q14 Greater Manchester 562 209 557 199 545 196 
			 Q15 Cheshire and Merseyside 445 132 442 127 426 115 
			 
			  Yorkshire and the Humber 875 243 865 227 836 196 
			 Q11 North and East Yorkshire and Northern Lincoln 266 74 262 66 253 56 
			 Q12 West Yorkshire 383 107 381 103 364 85 
			 Q23 South Yorkshire 226 62 222 58 219 55 
			 
			  East Midlands 648 143 645 138 635 124 
			 Q24 Trent 425 95 419 84 412 69 
			 Q25 Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland 223 48 226 54 223 55 
			 
			  West Midlands 1,036 385 1,028 384 996 352 
			 Q26 Shropshire and Staffordshire 267 100 270 104 255 84 
			 Q27 Birmingham and The Black Country 530 238 521 233 507 225 
			 Q28 West Midlands South 239 47 237 47 234 43 
			 
			  East of England 806 182 810 194 804 189 
			 Q01 Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire 301 37 303 38 300 31 
			 Q02 Bedford and Hertfordshire 230 52 232 54 231 52 
			 Q03 Essex 275 93 275 102 273 106 
			 
			  London 1,696 722 1,752 768 1,607 606 
			 Q04 North West London 457 200 472 214 441 179 
			 Q05 North Central London 313 145 320 159 291 127 
			 Q06 North East London 381 194 376 183 349 149 
			 Q07 South East London 300 112 332 143 294 100 
			 Q08 South West London 245 71 252 69 232 51 
			 
			  South East 1,224 256 1,209 254 1,180 225 
			 Q16 Thames Valley 302 46 299 44 291 33 
			 Q17 Hampshire and isle of Wight 241 25 235 28 232 21 
			 Q18 Kent and Medway 302 113 296 106 290 107 
			 Q19 Surrey and Sussex 379 72 379 76 367 64 
			 
			  South West 764 92 754 80 751 78 
			 Q20 Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire 326 41 326 36 323 37 
			 Q21 South West Peninsula 253 29 252 29 252 28 
			 Q22 Somerset and Dorset 185 22 176 15 176 13 
		
	
	(58)Figures can not be calculated prior to 2004 for single handed practitioners (excluding GP registrars and GP retainers). Therefore figures shown refer to single handed contracted GPs. A single handed contracted GP is one who has no partners, although they may have a GMS/PMS other, GP registrar or GP retainer.
	Note:
	Data as at 1 October 19992000 and 30 September 200104.
	Source:
	NHS Health and Social Care Information Centre. General and Personal Medical Services Statistics.

Genito-urinary Infections

Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the number of cases of (a) gonorrhoea, (b) Chlamydia and (c) syphilis which were diagnosed in primary care or elsewhere in 200405 but were not reported by genito-urinary medicine clinics or not included in their statistics; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: Data on the diagnoses of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in not collected centrally. The Department, however, is currently funding a project to develop a common data set for sexual health with the aim of it being approved as a national health service information standard by August 2006. The project is being overseen by a project board including representatives of the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV, the Faculty of Family Planning and Reproductive Health Care and other clinicians, including general practitioners. The common data set will be collected through the systems being put in place by the National Programme for IT and the data, including information from primary care, will be made available for surveillance, performance monitoring and other national purposes through the secondary uses service.

Graduate Fast-track Medical Places

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many graduate fast track medical places there werein the latest year for which figures are available; how many applicants there were for each place; and what plans she has to increase the number of places available.

Liam Byrne: The planned number of graduate entry four-year course places in England in academic year 200405 was 593. Information from the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service shows that the number of applicants for such places totalled 4,211 and the number of accepted applicants was 665. Information from the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), which records the number of students on the first year of these courses, including students who have deferred entry from a previous year and students repeating the year due to examination failure of ill health, shows that intake to these courses in 200405 was 691.
	The Department and HEFCE will shortly be considering the potential for further expansion of medical student numbers.

Health Authorities/Trusts

Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 11 July 2005, reference10011, when her Department ceased to collect information informally on the current financial position of health authorities and trusts which might be in deficit.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 14 July 2005
	The Department does collect monitoring information on the financial position of the national health service but does not publish information on individual NHS bodies until audited information is available because information changes during the financial year.
	The latest year for which audited data on the financial position of NHS organisations is available is 200304.

Health Authorities/Trusts

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much health authorities have spent on the (a) purchase, (b) leasing and (c) refurbishment of new offices in the past two years for which figures are available, broken down by authority.

Liam Byrne: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Health Service Job Losses

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment her Department has made of the planned job losses in Leeds hospitals; and if she will take steps to ensure the standard of health care provision will not change as a consequence of these proposals;
	(2)  if she will meet representatives of the hospital staff unions to discuss proposed health service job losses in Leeds.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 20 July 2005
	National health service trusts have a statutory responsibility to ensure financial balance. Leeds teaching hospitals NHS trust is working with its primary care trust partners and the west Yorkshire strategic health authority (SHA) to ensure that it achieves financial balance. The trust has put in place a service improvement plan that will redesign services to offer better treatment for patients with a greater emphasis on an increased use of community-based services. The strategic health authority is confident that the trust will deliver financial balance while maintaining levels of service to patients.
	I have no plans to meet with representatives of the hospital staff unions.

Healthcare Commission Inspection Reports

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what response her Department plans to make to the findings of the local inspection reports published by theHealthcare Commission as part of its review of the National Service Framework for Older People.

Liam Byrne: The Department will wait until the national conclusions of the Healthcare Commission's work are available before deciding what its response might be.
	The Healthcare Commission has recently been sharing the individual local inspections with the Department, but the only comments sought on these have been on factual accuracy.

Herbal Medicinal Products

Brian Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1) what assessment she has made of the consistency between the proposed implementation of the traditional herbal medicinal products directive and World Health Organisation policies for the promotion of traditional and complementary medicine as a way of improving public health;
	(2)  what the basis was for the statement in the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency's consultation document MLX 325 on the traditional herbal medicinal products directive that small and medium-sized enterprises typically manufacture simpler products requiring less sophisticated quality control;
	(3)  what assessment she has made of the total number of herbal products that may require registering under the provisions of the traditional herbal medicinal products directive; how many of those products she estimates will be based on (a) a single active herbal ingredient, (b) a mixture of two herbal ingredients and (c) a more complex mixture of several herbal ingredients; what estimate she has made of the likely registration fees for each of those categories of products in England; and if she will make a statement.

David Tredinnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment she has made of the effect of legislation and regulation on small and medium-sized manufacturers of herbal medicines; what assessment she has made of whether any manufacturers will cease to trade as a result of regulatory burdens; whether she has discussed sector regulation with (a) the Health Food Manufacturers Association and (b) the Herbal Forum; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what assessment she has made of the effect on (a) new product innovation and development and (b) business profitability and employment potential of the (i) registration fees, (ii) testing costs and (iii) quality procedures proposed by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency in connection with implementation of the Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive.

Jane Kennedy: We believe that the implementation of the directive on traditional herbal medicinal products is fully consistent with the World Health Organisation's (WHO) policies on traditional and complementary medicine. The WHO has noted that unregulated or inappropriate use of such medicines can have dangerous effects and has said that it is important for governments to establish regulatory mechanisms to control the safety and quality of products. The directive is designed to give the consumer assurance as to standards of safety, quality and patient information in relation to traditional herbal medicines.

Hospital Episode Statistics

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of maternity services comply with the requirement to submit maternity tail data as part of the Hospital Episode Statistics; and what measures she is taking to ensure that all NHS trusts return the Hospital Episode Statistics maternity tail data.

Liam Byrne: Information is not available in the form requested. In 200304, about 72 per cent, of delivery records in the hospital episode statistics (HES) included usable maternity tail data.
	Completion of the maternity tail is included in regular assessments of HES data quality.

Hospital Infections

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  which infections will be covered by the national code of practice for the prevention of hospital acquired infections;
	(2)  when she expects a national code of practice for the prevention of hospital acquired infections to be implemented;
	(3)  which organisations have been consulted on the development of a national code of practice for the prevention of hospital acquired infections;
	(4)  when she expects to publish a national code of practice for the prevention of hospital acquired infections.

Jane Kennedy: The draft code of practice, published on Friday 15 July, 2005, for consultation, brings together guidance on systems that will reduce the risk of all health care associated infections. An early draft of the code was shaped with representatives from a number of organisations, including the Healthcare Commission, the Infection Control Nurses Association and the Association of Medical Microbiologists.
	Legislation, which will include powers to publish the new code of practice as part of a range of measures, will be introduced later this year. If passed by Parliament, these measures should come into effect during 2006.

Infertility

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the number of women in England aged (a) 16 to 24, (b) 25 to 30, (c) 30 to 35, (d) 36 to 40 and (e) over 40 years who were infertile in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Caroline Flint: Information on numbers of infertile women is not collected centrally by the Department or the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA). The HFEA estimates that one in seven couples in the United Kingdom experience difficulty in conceiving, although most will conceive naturally, given time.

Information Technology (Expenditure)

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what her most recent estimate is of how much was spent by (a) the NHS, (b) each strategic health authority and (c) each NHS trust in England on information technology;
	(2)  what her policy is on the percentage of their total budget that NHS trusts should spend on information technology per annum; and what percentage of their total budget was spent by each NHS trust on information technology in the last year for which figures are available.

Liam Byrne: Information management and technology (IM and T) expenditure reported by the national health service in the 200304 financial year amounted to 1,100 million, broken down as follows:
	
		
			  Amount ( million) 
		
		
			 Strategic health authorities (SHAs) 8 
			 Primary care trusts (PCTs) 350 
			 NHS trusts 741 
		
	
	Note:
	Figures are rounded to nearest whole million.
	These figures comprise revenue expenditure reported through a national survey of IM and T investment (865 million), and capital expenditure, including IT additions and software licences, identified in NHS Accounts (234 million). They do not include expenditure by special health authorities or central expenditure through the Department.
	The total revenue expenditure is incomplete and represents the sum of returns provided by 568 out of 600 NHS organisations in response to the national survey.
	A breakdown of this expenditure by each SHA, PCT and NHS trust has been placed in the Library.
	There is no specific numerical target for NHS trust expenditure on IT. However, we have always made it clear that we expect NHS trusts to follow the recommendations in the 2002 Wanless report to increase this to around 4 per cent. of total NHS spend by 2008.

Mental Health

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will place in the Library copies of the responses to the consultation document on the independent mental capacity advocacy service; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: The Department launched the consultation on the arrangements for the future provision of the independent mental capacity advocacy (IMCA) service on 5 July 2005. In addition to the consultation documents, the Government are planning to hold a series of workshops to allow people to put forward their views in a less formal context. The consultation ends on 30 September 2005. The Government will publish the results of the consultation and will place this in the Library.

Mental Health

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she expects the Race Equality Impact Assessment of the draft Mental Health Bill to be completed.

Rosie Winterton: We will publish a Race Equality Impact Assessment alongside the Bill when it is published, prior to its introduction. The impact assessment will be important in helping us to ensure that the new legislation is implemented fairly for black and minority ethnic communities, and in maximising the effectiveness of the safeguards in the Billn/asuch as advocacyn/afor people from all backgrounds. To this end, we have established an advisory group for this work, under the chair of Rabinder Singh QC.

Mental Health

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the cost of the consultation on the Mental Health Bill carried out in (a) 1998 and (b) January 2004.

Rosie Winterton: In 1998, the Government announced their intention to introduce new mental health legislation. A Green Paper was introduced in 1998 and a draft bill in 2002. Quantifying the costs of either of these consultation exercises would involve disproportionate costs.
	In 2004, a second draft of the Mental Health Bill was published for pre-legislative scrutiny by a joint committee of the House of Commons and House of Lords, a process which allowed further input from stakeholders and experts. This is a parliamentary process and the Department is unable to comment on the costs incurred.

Mental Health

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list bodies referred to as those with responsibility for protecting the public in paragraph 13 of the introduction to the Government response to the report of the Joint Committee on the draft Mental Health Bill 2004.

Rosie Winterton: The organisations referred to in paragraph 13 of the introduction to the Government response to the report of the Joint Committee on the draft Mental Health Bill 2004, which have a responsibility for protecting the public are the police, the courts, the probation service and the Prison Service.

Mid Essex Hospital Trust PFI

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she expects the Mid Essex hospital trust private finance initiative scheme to be approved; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 14 July 2005
	The Mid Essex hospital national health service trust's private finance initiative scheme is currently expected to be approved towards the end of the year.

Ministerial Meetings

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the occasions, including the date and place,when (a) officials and (b) Ministers from her Department have attended (i) conferences and (ii)meetings where (A) abortion and (B) euthanasia has been discussed in each of the last five years; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: This information is not centrally available. Ministers and departmental officials meet with a wide range of stakeholders about a wide range of issues, including euthanasia and abortion, both formally and informally.

New Forest Primary Care Trust

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will investigate (a) the propriety of the decision by New Forest Primary Care Trust (PCT) to reduce the number of options offered for public consultation about the future of in-patient beds in community hospitals from five to two and (b) the basis for proposals by New Forest PCT to close in-patient beds in community hospitals for (i) medical and (ii)financial reasons.

Caroline Flint: It is for primary care trusts, in consultation with stakeholders locally, such as overview and scrutiny committees, to take decisions on how local health services can be improved and to ensure that they are a clinical and cost effective use of resources. No final decisions will be taken on the future of community hospitals locally without full, public consultation.
	I understand that New Forest Primary Care Trust has written to the hon. Member on this matter.

NHS Charitable Assets Disposal

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance her Department offers to NHS trusts on the disposal of assets provided by charitable and voluntary organisations and individuals in community hospital wards that are closed.

Liam Byrne: Donated assets are the property of the national health service trust concerned. Trusts are free to deal with them as they wish, subject only to any legal covenants or restrictions placed upon them at the time of donation.
	Guidance on the disposal of all surplus national health service property assets is contained in the Department's Estatecode, a copy of which is available in the Library. Guidance on the accounting treatment for the disposal of assets is contained in the NHS capital accounting manual, which is publicly available on the Department's website at: www.info.doh.gov.uk/doh/finman.nsf/ManualDownload.

NHS Hospital Cleaning

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the total expenditure by NHS hospitals on cleaning in each year since 1997 in each NHS trust.

Jane Kennedy: The information requested has been placed in the Library.
	The collection of the total expenditure by national health service organisations started in 2000. The figures provided include pay and non-pay costs, for example, the cost of in-house and contract staff, materials, equipment provision and uniform costs. The data has been provided directly by the NHS organisations, which are responsible for its completeness and accuracy.
	
		
			  Total expenditure on cleaning services ( million) 
		
		
			 200001 403 
			 200102 418 
			 200203 460 
			 200304 493

NHS Staff

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made on meeting the target to reduce the number of incidences of (a) violence against and (b) sickness absence of staff in the NHS by 30 per cent. by the end of 200304.

Jane Kennedy: In April 2003f the national health service security management service (NHS SMS) was created and assumed policy and operational responsibility for the management of security in the NHS, including work to tackle violence against NHS staff. In November 2003, the NHS SMS introduced a comprehensive range of measures to tackle incidences of violence against NHS staff, both proactively and reactively. The NHS SMS has begun a programme of work to identify the true nature, scale and extent of the problem. Once this work is completed, meaningful and achievable targets for delivering a secure environment for NHS staff will be set.
	The Department's fifteenth annual report was published on 21 June 2005. This report includes details of progress in reducing the levels of absence due to sickness. The report is available in the Library and on the Department's website at www.dh.gov.uk/PublicationsAndStatistics/Publications/AnnualReports.
	Figures for sickness absence are generally published for whole sectors. Figures for the NHS compare favourably with other public sector employers. Overall, the sickness absence figures for the NHS have changed little over the past five years. The Department's survey of sickness rates over the last four years show a steady state, with 4.7 per cent, in 2000 and 4.6 per cent, in 2004.
	The Improving Working Lives initiative is now well embedded in the NHS. This promotes more flexible working, helps staff manage a healthy balance between work and commitments outside work, and requires NHS employers to tackle issues such as safety, health and well being.

NHS Treatment Centres

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information her Department (a) collects and (b) publishes concerning the operation of (i) directly managed NHS treatment centres and (ii) independent treatment centres.

Liam Byrne: The Department regularly collects activity figures based on the number of first finished consultant episodes (FFCEs) carried out at national health service treatment centres. This information is published as part of the overall figures for the NHS.
	In independent sector treatment centres, the Department additionally collects key performance indicators and contract management information on a regular basis.

NICE (Drugs Appraisal)

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what examples there are of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence fast-tracking an appraisal of drugs or treatment.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 20 July 2005
	I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave to the hon. Member for Hammersmith and Fulham (Mr. Hands) on 6 June 2005, Official Report, column 433W.

Obesity

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the obesity care pathway, weight loss guide and obesity toolkit is expected to be published.

Caroline Flint: We expect to publish the weight loss guide in the autumn. The obesity care pathway and obesity toolkit will be published at the end of the year.

Ovarian Tissue Transplants

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many ovarian tissue transplants there were in each of the last five years; and how many were (a) successful and (b) unsuccessful.

Caroline Flint: No transplants of ovarian tissue have been performed in the United Kingdom.
	In February 2004, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) published a clinical guideline for the national health service on the assessment and treatment for people with fertility problems. Part 1.15 of the guideline, covering applications of cryopreservation in cancer treatment, says:
	Women preparing for medical treatment that is likely to make them infertile should be offered oocyte or embryo cryostorage as appropriate if they are well enough to undergo ovarian stimulation and egg collection, provided that this will not worsen their condition and provided that sufficient time is available. They should be informed that oocyte cryostorage has very limited success and that the cryopreservation of ovarian tissue is still in an early stage of development.
	A recent report from the United States of America mentioned a patient who apparently has had a successful ovarian transplantation involving her sister as a donor. We note that the British Fertility Society regards this procedure as an interesting development that must be viewed as experiment, probably applicable only to an exceptionally small number of patients, and which raises ethical issues about the impact on the donor.

Overseas Nurses

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reasons the Nursing and Midwifery Council will require nurses from outside the European Economic Area whose first language is English to pass the International English Language Test; what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Overseas Training Programme on the recruitment of nurses from overseas; and if she will make a statement on the impact of the Overseas Nurses Programme on the resources of the NHS.

Liam Byrne: Article 13(l) (c) (iii) of the Nursing and Midwifery Order 2001 gives the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) powers to ensure that individuals satisfy the prescribed requirements as to knowledge of English. Requiring all applicants from outside the European Economic Area to undertake the International English Language Test avoids discrimination on the basis of potentially misleading assumptions about country of origin and culture. It also provides a better safeguard than relying on the application form alone.
	The NMC's overseas nurses programme should ensure common standards are applied to all registrants.

Palliative Care

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures have been taken to improve palliative care in cases of terminal illness.

Rosie Winterton: The Government recognise the importance of providing effective and efficient palliative and specialist palliative care services. We are supporting the development of services through a number of initiatives, including:
	A 12 million three year end-of-life care programme, which is a first step in providing access to high quality care for all patients, irrespective of diagnosis.
	Investing an extra 50 million per annum for specialist palliative care for adults with cancer.
	Supportive and palliative care guidance from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence.
	A 6 million palliative care district nurse training programme.

Patient Forums

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1) what contribution she expects patient and public involvement forums to make to developing health policy; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what role she expects patient forums to play in developing a patient-led NHS.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 18 July 2005
	Patient forums will contribute to developing health policy and developing a patient-led national health service by carrying out their functions to:
	monitor and review local services arranged and or provided from the perspective of the patient, including both the range and operation of services
	seek the views of patients receiving services provided or arranged
	inspect premises where NHS services are delivered
	make reports and recommendations based on the views and experiences of patients and carers to the management, where trusts are required to respond to these reports
	refer matters of concern to overview scrutiny committees and the Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health, strategic health authorities, the Healthcare Commission and the National Patient Safety Agency, and to any other person or body the forums deem appropriate, including the media.
	These functions provide forums with a role to influence health policy locally, by finding out what their community thinks about health provision, taking action and encouraging others to get involved.
	The functions will contribute to building a NHS that is increasingly prepared to respond to the needs of the communities it serves, as well as supporting the creation of a patient-led NHS.

Patient Transfers (Escorts)

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the risks of transferring unaccompanied patients between accident and emergency units by taxi in the absence of available ambulances.

Liam Byrne: It is for the local national health service to ensure appropriate transport and governance arrangements are in place to support the transfer of patients between accident and emergency departments.
	The NHS Modernisation Agency issued Driving Change: Good practice guidelines for Primary Care Trusts on commissioning arrangements for emergency ambulance services and non-emergency patient transport services in September 2004.
	In 1991, the Department issued guidance on Ambulance and other patient transport services: Operation, use and performance standards, which includes reference to performance standards and quality of service issues.
	Copies of both documents are available in the Library.

Primary Care

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information is provided by primary care trusts to her Department for the (a) Primary Care Access Survey and (b) Service and Financial Framework, as referred to on page 18 of the Department of Health Departmental Report 2005; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: The Service and Financial Framework return process referred to in the departmental report has been replaced by local delivery plans from 200304. Otherwise, I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 5 July 2005, Official Report, column 348W.

Private Health Care

Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  pursuant to the answer of 4 July 2005, Official Report, columns 22627W, on private diagnostic and treatment centres, if she will list the organisations for whom the subjects of the nine waivers wished to work; and what their profession was in each case;
	(2)  whether any private sector provider has secured a general waiver or waivers of the rules restricting the employment of former NHS health professionals.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 11 July 2005
	No general waiver of the additionality restriction has been granted to any independent sector treatment centre (ISTC) operator.
	Information concerning the nine waivers from the six months restriction are shown in the table:
	
		
			Organisation for which the subject wished to work (so far as we are aware from the application details supplied) Subject's profession (or profession wishing to pursue in organisation for which waiver granted) 
		
		
			 National Health Service (working first in a non- clinical role with Netcare) Consultant 
			 ORI-International Healthcare Manager 
			 UK Specialist Hospitals/ORI International Nurse 
			 Netcare Healthcare (UK) Ltd. Consultant 
			 Not confirmed at the time of application Consultant 
			 Alliance Medical Consultant 
			 NHS (locum work prior to an offer of employment in an ISTC) Consultant 
			 Netcare (UK) Ltd. Consultants 
			 Netcare (UK) Ltd. Consultant

Private Sector General Medical Practitioners

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether her Department keeps a list of private sector general medical practitioners practising in the UK.

Liam Byrne: No. The General Medical Council holds lists of medical practitioners eligible to work in the United Kingdom, whether in the national health service or in private practice. Primary care trusts are required to hold lists of those general practitioners working in the NHS performing primary medical services.

Public Interest Disclosure Act

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what facilities are in place to ensure that her Department adheres to its obligations under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998.

Liam Byrne: Guidance on whistle-blowing in the national health service was issued in September 1999 following the coming into force of the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998.
	This guidance required every NHS trust and health authority (HA) to have in place policies and procedures which comply with the Act. A policy pack, So Long Silencer was subsequently produced, in partnership with Public Concern at Work, and issued to all trusts and HAs in July 2003.
	This pack included materials to help employers develop effective whistle-blowing policies and procedures and to promote a climate of openness and dialogue in the NHS. A complementary pack, tailored for the use of general practitioners, will be issued shortly by NHS employers and Public Concern at Work.

Recruitment Agencies

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Healthwhether she has issued a direction banning the NHS from using recruitment agencies which have not signed up to the code of practice on international recruitment.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 19 July 2005
	No direction has been issued to the national health service to comply with the code of practice for international recruitment of healthcare professionals, but the NHS is commended to use only recruitment agencies that comply with the code of practice for domestic and international recruitment.

Recruitment Agencies

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures can be taken to sanction (a) NHS organisations and (b) independent sector providers who use recruitment agencies which are not included on the list of agencies compliant with the code of practice on international recruitment.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 20 July 2005
	National health service organisations are strongly commended to adhere to the code of practice. NHS Employers monitor the code of practice and any exceptions are brought to the attention of the relevant chief executive for appropriate action.
	In respect of independent sector providers where national contracts are signed, compliance with the code of practice is a contractual obligation.

Scanning Services

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 7 July 2005, Official Report, columns 58384W on scanning services, what the evidential basis was for the calculation of the average waiting time for diagnostic scans in Barnsley referred to in the Guardian newspaper on 2 July.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 18 July 2005
	The figures quoted in the article were based on reliable information provided by Alliance Medical Ltd. relating to the reduction in waiting time for a non-urgent magnetic resonance imaging scan before and after the mobile scanning unit's visit to the area.

Scanning Services

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what mechanisms her Department will use to determine whether Alliance Medical has increased clinical capacity in the number of MRI scans carried out.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 18 July 2005
	The Department tendered and awarded the fast-track mobile magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contract to augment existing national health service capacity by providing additional diagnostic services and staff.
	The service provided by Alliance Medical Ltd. (AML) represents a 15 per cent. increase in the MRI capacity available to the NHS and equates to approximately 131,000 extra scans per year. To ensure delivery of this, data is collected regularly on the number of NHS referrals made and scans performed by AML. Performance is monitored weekly, quarterly and annually in accordance with the contract.

Scanning Services

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the impact has been on the working practices of staff at the University Hospital North Durham of the mobile scanning unit provided by Alliance Medical.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 14 July 2005
	The information requested is not centrally available.

Scanning Services

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 4 July 2005, Official Report, column 201W, on Alliance Medical, on what basis her Department concluded that Alliance Medical would improve patient care.

Liam Byrne: Faster, more accurate diagnosis for patients should improve clinical outcomes and give patients more certainty and control over their conditions. Some non-invasive investigations such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may even reduce the need for surgery. That is why we are committed to increasing capacity both in the national health service and through use of the independent sector in order to deliver the maximum 18-week target from general practitioner referral to start of treatment.
	The Department tendered and awarded the fast-track mobile magnetic resonance imaging contract on the basis that the successful company could deliver the additional diagnostic capacity required to a standard at least that of the NHS.

Scanning Services

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many staff are employed to provide diagnostic scanning services at the University Hospital North Durham.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 19 July 2005
	The information requested is gathered centrally on a national health service basis. The table shows the staff employed to provide diagnostic scanning services at the County Durham and Darlington Acute Hospitals NHS Trust.
	
		NHS hospital and community health services: diagnostic radiography staff within County Durham and Darlington Acute Hospitals NHS Trust as at 30 September 2004
		
			  Headcount 
		
		
			 Total diagnostic radiography staff 116 
			 Qualified staff 91 
			 Manager 1 
			 Therapist 90 
			 Unqualified staff 25 
			 Helper/assistant 25 
		
	
	Source:
	Health and Social Care Information Centre non-medical workforce census 2004.

Scanning Services

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health by how much the scanning services provided by Alliance Medical have reduced the average waiting time for scans in the County Durham and Tees Valley strategic health authority area.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 5 July 2005
	The information requested is not available centrally.

Scanning Services

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  when the annual review of Alliance Medical's contract to provide diagnostic scanning services to the NHS will take place;
	(2)  if she will publish the annual review of Alliance Medical's contract to provide diagnostic scanning services to the NHS;
	(3)  pursuant to the answer of 6 July 2005, to Question ref 10858, what her assessment of Alliance Medical's performance in providing diagnostic scanning services to the NHS has been so far.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 11 July 2005
	The annual review of the Alliance Medical Limited (AML) contract will commence in July and a decision on what can be published consistent with commercial confidentiality will be taken later.
	The service offered by AML is helping to tackle long waits for magnetic resonance imaging and is contributing to reducing the total time that patients wait from general practitioner referral to start of treatment to a maximum of 18 weeks by 2008, as promised in the Party's election manifesto.
	We believe that patient experience under this contract is at least equal to that within the national health service and AML's patient surveys consistently show around a 96 per cent. satisfaction rate.

Scanning Services

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many residents of Craighead have had scans carried out by Alliance Medical;
	(2)  how many residents of Pelton have had scans carried out by Alliance Medical.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 11 July 2005
	The information requested is not centrally available.

Scanning Services

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what systems are in place to ensure Alliance Medical provide the number of scans which their contract stipulates;
	(2)  pursuant to the answer of 5 July 2005, Official Report, column 346W, on diagnostic scans, how her Department will verify whether Alliance Medical Ltd. has carried out the number of diagnostic scans which their contract stipulates;
	(3)  what sanctions Alliance Medical will face if it fails to carry out the 630,000 diagnostic scans stipulated in their contract to provide diagnostic scanning services in the NHS.

Liam Byrne: holding answers 11 and 12 July 2005
	Data is collected monthly on the number of national health service referrals made and scans performed by Alliance Medical Ltd. (AMI). Performance is monitored weekly, quarterly and annually in accordance with the contract.
	Should AMI fail to meet its contractual obligations it is possible to withhold payment. Should AMI repeatedly fail, there is an option also to terminate all or part of the contract.

Scanning Services

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reasons the value of Alliance Medical's contract to provide scanning services in the NHS is considered commercially sensitive.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 11 July 2005
	Alliance Medical Limited provided a competitive price in negotiations. This was based on the Department not revealing their price either to competitors or to other organisations with whom they have contracts.

Simvastatin

John Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what proportion of respondents to the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency consultation exercise regarding the recent proposal to reclassify Simvastatin were in favour of the proposal;
	(2)  if she will assess the quality of the presentation of the outcome of the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency's consultation on the reclassification of Simvastatin to (a) the Expert Advisory Committee on Safety of Medicines and (b) Ministers;
	(3)  if she will amend the letter sent by her Department to the Health Select Committee in response to questions raised at its meeting on 3 February 2005 regarding the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency's consultation document (ARM 18) with particular reference to the proportion of respondents supporting the re-classification of Simvastatin.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 19 July 2005
	The consultation by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) on the proposed reclassification of Simvastatin 10 milligrams as an over-the-counter medicine elicited 100 responses. About one third were supportive of the proposal, one third opposed and one third were not opposed but raised issues. This was the position put to the Committee on Safety of Medicines (CSM), which also had access to the full responses when giving its advice. The consultation raised no issues not already considered by the CSM when its advice to consult was formulated.
	An error in the summary placed on the MHRA's website following the announcement of the decision to allow Simvastatin 10 milligrams to be sold in pharmacies had no bearing on the robustness of the deliberations of the CSM. The outcome of consultation was properly presented to the CSM and to Health Ministers. In light of this, no further assessment would be appropriate.
	The error did not come to light until after the evidence sessions of the Health Select Committee's inquiry into the influence of the pharmaceutical industry were complete. The MHRA has written to the Clerk of the Health Select Committee to draw attention to the reference made in an annexe to a letter to the Committee, following the evidence session on 3 February 2005. The annexe referred to the report of the outcome of the consultation displayed on the MHRA website. A copy of the letter has been placed in the Library.
	To ensure complete transparency, the MHRA now publishes the responses to all consultations on wider availability of medicinesmost recently for chloramphenicol eye dropselectronically or summarised on the MHRA's website.

Supervised Practice Placements

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many supervised practice placements for nurses have been offered within the NHS in each year since 1997; and what plans she has to increase the number of supervised practice placements within the NHS.

Liam Byrne: Figures of the numbers of supervised practice placements offered within the national health service are not collected centrally. Local resource planning is the responsibility of NHS trusts and strategic health authorities.

Waiting Lists/Times

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time for accident and emergency cases in hospitals was in each year since 1990.

Liam Byrne: Information is not collected on the average waiting time in accident and emergency (A and E) departments. Information on the total time patients spend in A and E departments from arrival to admission, transfer or discharge is collected each quarter from national health service trusts and is available on the Department's website at:
	www.performance.doh.gov.uk/hospitalactivity/data_requests/index.htm

HOME DEPARTMENT

African Child Immigrants

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many children from Angola entering the UK have been returned to Angola in each of the last five years.

Tony McNulty: The exact information requested is not available.
	Information on the destination of people removed from the UK has only been available since January 2004. From 1 January 2004 until 31 December 2004, a total of 20 Angolan asylum seekers under the age of 18 were removed to Angola. All of these people were dependants of asylum applicants. This figure has been rounded to the nearest five.
	Information on non-asylum removals for 2004 will be published in August 2005, and will be available from the Home Office website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html

African Child Immigrants

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been prosecuted in England and Wales for (a) murder of, (b) manslaughter of and (c) cruelty to children in the UK who have come from Africa in each of the last five years.

Hazel Blears: It is not possible to identify those defendants on the Home Office Court Proceedings database prosecuted for murder, manslaughter or cruelty to children from a particular country or region and details of victims are not centrally collected.

Amyl Nitrates

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans the Department has to prohibit the sale of amyl nitrates in nightclubs.

Paul Goggins: The amyl nitrites (poppers) are regulated as a Prescription Only Medicine under the Medicines Act 1968. Their sale in nightclubs is therefore prohibited. Poppers are not controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs has considered whether they should be controlled and concluded that they did not give rise to a social problem justifying their control. There are health risks attached to using poppers, particularly for those with chest or heart problems, anaemia or glaucoma. They should never be used.
	The Department of Health has published two guidance leaflets specifically aimed at young people giving advice about the use and side effects of a number of drugs, including poppers. Further information on amyl nitrate can also be found on the FRANK website.

Assaults (Race/Religion)

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research he has evaluated on trends in the number of people attacked for (a) religious and (b) racial reasons; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: The British Crime Survey (BCS) includes information in relation to racially motivated victimisation incidents, and will from this year additionally cover religious motivation. Latest findings, based on the 200304 BCS, are in chapter 3 of Statistics on race and the criminal justice system 2004; previous data are contained in Home Office Findings 237, July 2004 (for 200203) and Home Office Research Study 223, October 2001 (trends up to 2000).

Asylum Seekers

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what criteria are used to decide whether an asylum seeker or immigration detainee in Northern Ireland is (a) granted temporary admission to reside in Northern Ireland, (b) detained in Maghaberry Prison, Crumlin Road Detention Unit or Hydebank Younger Offender's Centre and (c) transferred to immigration removal centres in Great Britain.

Tony McNulty: Immigration detention is usually appropriate in order to effect removal, to establish the basis of a person's claim or identity, where there are grounds for believing that the person will not abide by any conditions attached to the grant of temporary admission or release or as part of the fast track asylum procedures. The decision on whether detention is necessary is made on a case by case basis and in all cases there is a presumption in favour of temporary admission or release.
	If detention is appropriate for an individual in Northern Ireland this will initially take place at either the Working Out Unit in Belfast or at Hydebank Young Offenders Centre. However, there is a presumption in favour of transfer to an Immigration Service removal centre in Britain unless the individual concerned chooses to remain in Northern Ireland.

Asylum Seekers

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what criteria are used to decide whether a Northern Ireland based (a) asylum seeker and (b) other immigration detainee should be detained in (i)Dungavel Immigration Removal Centre and (ii) other immigration removal centres in Great Britain.

Tony McNulty: The detention location for any detainee is decided on a case by case basis after an individual risk assessment which takes into account the particular security and welfare requirements of the detainee in question.

Bridleways

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many arrests have been made for the illegal use of off-road vehicles on bridleways in the last five years.

Paul Goggins: It is not an arrestable offence to use off-road vehicles on bridleways.

Bus Drivers (Offences)

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many bus drivers in Sheffield, Hallam were charged with (a) drink driving, (b) speeding and (c) operating a mobile phone in each of the last five years.

Paul Goggins: Information on the number of persons charged by the police by type of offence is not collected centrally.

Child Abuse

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made by the Criminal Cases Review Commission and the Historical Abuse Appeal Panel on abuse cases; and if he will make a statement.

Fiona Mactaggart: A protocol between the Historical Abuse Panel (HAAP) and the Commission has recently been agreed and signed. The Commission has already dealt with 10 care home abuse cases from HAAP. Six have been closed and four remain under review. No HAAP care home abuse cases have been referred to the Court of Appeal.

Child Curfew Orders

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for theHome Department how many child curfew orders have been issued in (a) Guildford, (b) Waverley and (c) Surrey in each year since their creation.

Fiona Mactaggart: The information for all Petty Sessional Areas within Surrey is shown in the table. Individual area level information for Guildford and Waverley is not available.
	
		Number of curfew orders given to 10 to 17-year-olds in Surrey, 19962003
		
			   1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 
		
		
			 2848 South-west Surrey PSA 0 0 0 0 0 4 4 3 
			 2849 North Surrey PSA 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 3 
			 2856 South-east Surrey PSA 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 7 
			 2857 North West Surrey PSA 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 3 
			 474 Guildford Crown court 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 
			 Surrey police force area 0 0 0 0 0 8 8 19 
			 England and Wales 13 37 155 320 440 1,294 2,353 2,940 
		
	
	Note:
	PSA stands for Petty Sessional Area
	Source:
	RDS NOMS 18/7/2005

Community Development Foundation

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much in expenses has been claimed by each member of the Community Development Foundation trustees since each was appointed.

Paul Goggins: holding answer 14 July 2005
	The out of pocket travel and subsistence expenses claimed by the current Trustees of the Community Development Foundation, since each was appointed, are as follows:
	
		
			  Date appointed Expenses () 
		
		
			 Tom Levitt MP (Chair) 11 June 2004 68.00 
			 Andrew Selous MP 1 November 2003 0 
			 Paul Burstow MP 1 January 2004 0 
			 Andrew Robinson MBE 1 June 2002 0 
			 Suhail Aziz 1 January 1999 1,097.14 
			 Michael Hamilton 1 June 2002 0 
			 Colin Williams OBE 1 March 1997 3,376.92 
			 Hilary Wilmer 1 June 2002 1,180.66 
			 Abdul Ismail 1 June 2002 1,394.85 
			 Peter Latchford 12 May 2000 4,522.65 
			 Prof. Ruth Lister CBE 18 May 2000 1,254.29 
			 Jogwant Johal 12 May 2000 600.00 
			 Avila Kilmurray 31 October 1996 239.40 
			 Mavis Best MBE 26 June 2000 274.30

Community Sentences

Humfrey Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of (a) community rehabilitation orders, (b) community punishment orders and (c) drug treatment and testing orders were breached in the last period for which figures are available.

Fiona Mactaggart: In 2003, the last year for which figures are available, the percentage of orders breached were:
	(a) community rehabilitation orders: 29 per cent.
	(b) community punishment orders: 34 per cent.
	(c) drug treatment and testing orders: 48 per cent.
	As offenders breaching an order in one year may have been sentenced in an earlier year, the figures given are percentages of the average number of orders imposed in 2002 and 2003.

Community Sentences

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of female offenders have not completed community sentences in each year since 1997.

Fiona Mactaggart: Information on the completion rates for the main types of community sentence, by gender and for each year since 1993, can be found in Table 5.1 of the Home Office Statistical Bulletin: Offender Management Caseload Statistics 2003, a copy of which can be found in the House of Commons Library.

Computer Equipment

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much the Department spent on (a) mobile phones, (b) laptop computers and (c) palmtop computers, in each year since 1997.

Charles Clarke: The total cost of mobile phones for the Home Department since 1997 are given in the table.
	The information on laptops and palmtops is not held centrally and therefore could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  Mobile rental costs Mobile call charges Total 
		
		
			 1997 273,901.01 262,911.57 536,301.58 
			 1998 261,085.56 92,400.15 353,485.71 
			 1999 376,336.09 140,246.56 516,582.65 
			 2000 456,282.31 295,034.42 751,316.73 
			 2001 552,292.14 367,598.15 919,890.29 
			 2002 568,494.14 815,456.48 1,383,980.62 
			 2003 624,916.16 920,699.74 1,552,508.77 
			 2004 1,510,840.26 1,002,725.21 2,513,565.47

Control Orders

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what arrangements are in place to inform local social services when a control order is imposed on an individual.

Charles Clarke: A multi-agency approach is adopted and the relevant agencies, including social services, will be informed where appropriate.

Credit Card Fraud

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment has been made of the impact on fraud levels of the Chip and PIN programme since its introduction.

Hazel Blears: Chip and PIN is a major finance and retail industry anti fraud initiative. The introduction of Chip and PIN has been managed by the Chip and PIN Programme Management Organisation, and actively supported by Government.
	The impact of chip and PIN on card fraud was expected to be seen early in 2005 and hence will first be reflected in the APACS mid-year card fraud figures to June 2005, which will be available later this year.

Dangerous and Severe Personality Disorder Project

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many places he has delivered in the Dangerous and Severe Personality Disorder project.

Fiona Mactaggart: The Dangerous Severe Personality Disorder (DSPD) Programme is a set of pilot initiatives aimed at developing assessment and treatment services for high risk violent or sexual offenders whose offending is linked to severe personality disorder.
	A total of 244 high secure DSPD places are currently available, based at HMP Whitemoor, HMP Frankland and at Broadmoor and Rampton hospitals. A further 60 places will become available on October 2005 with the opening of a new unit at Broadmoor hospital. In addition there are 71 places currently available in medium secure NHS hospital settings and as hostel places, for those that have made progress or have been assessed as being able to be managed in the community. This number is planned to grow to 75 in the autumn of 2005 and to 95 in the course of 2006. A further 12 places are planned to open in the autumn of 2005 at HMP Low Newton for women offenders.

David Rayan Ellis

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the application for a spouse visa for David Rayan Ellis, Immigration and Nationality Directorate ref: LR1883010136/1 submitted in February, will be granted; and if he will set out the reasons for the time taken to process the application.

Tony McNulty: Mr. Ellis is currently seeking leave to enter the United Kingdom on the basis of his marriage to a British Citizen. A number of issues remain outstanding in respect of Mr. Ellis' case and it will not be possible to resolve his application until these have been addressed. The Immigration and Nationality Directorate will reach a decision as soon as possible and advise Mr. Ellis of their decision direct.

Disability

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how the (a) Disability Discrimination Act 1975 and (b) Disability Equality Duty will be applied to (i) prisons and (ii) probations services in England and Wales.

Fiona Mactaggart: The Prison Service already seeks to apply the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA) to prisons by the issuing of a Prison Service Order and an auditable Prison Service Standard. A quarterly bulletin on best practiceInside Disabilityis made available to all Governors and staff.
	The National Probation Directorate seeks to apply the DDA through its national compliance strategy requiring the 42 probation areas to produce individual area compliance strategies.
	The National Probation Directorate and the Prison Service are working with the Home Office Race and Diversity Action Team to produce a Disability Equality Scheme. The model likely to be used will be similar to the Race Equality Scheme currently in use.
	Guidance is to be issued to the Prison Service and to the 42 Probation Areas of England and Wales in accordance with the timescale set out in the Disability Discrimination Act 2005 to assist the Areas in implementing a Disability Equality Scheme.

Disability

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many individuals in prison in England and Wales have a disability;
	(2)  what facilities are available in prisons in England and Wales to assist prisoners with disabilities;
	(3)  how many individuals (a) in prison and (b) supervised by the probation service have (i) a hearing difficulty, (ii) a sight impairment and (iii) a mobility difficulty; and what services are available to assist them.

Fiona Mactaggart: The Prison Service for England and Wales does not, at present, collect data centrally on the number of prisoners with disabilities held in the system.
	Statistics are not collected centrally for offenders by the 42 probation areas of England and Wales and could be made available only at disproportionate cost.
	Key facilities in prison such as physical access are addressed by access audits to ensure prisoners with disabilities are not treated less favourably than other prisoners. To assist prisoners and the prison in meeting individuals needs all prisons have a disability liaison officer.

Driving (Mobile Phone Use)

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many drivers in London have received penalties for use of a hand-held mobile phone while driving; and how many drivers have been disqualified;
	(2)  in how many cases in London a driver has been disqualified as a result of using a mobile phone while driving.

Paul Goggins: Available information on the number of penalties ordered to be paid for the offence of driving while using a hand-held mobile telephone is given in a table which will be placed in the Library. 2004 data will be available in early 2006. Data on disqualifications are not available.
	The offence was introduced on 1 December 2003 and the use of a hands-free mobile phone is not part of the new offence.
	A provision in the Road Safety Bill seeks to make using a hand-held mobile phone while driving an endorsable offence.

Drug Rehabilitation

Colin Challen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the impact on levels of crime in Leeds of the increase in drug rehabilitation services within the area since 2001.

Paul Goggins: The Leeds Drug Partnership has expanded drug services with funds received from the National Drug Strategy since 1998. In 200304 there were 2,453 individuals in treatment; by the end of 200405 there were 3,517an increase of 43 per cent.
	In 2005 Leeds will receive the following funds from central government: 4.9 million to provide adult drug treatment; 998,000 to provide a range of drug services for young people; and 1.9 million to provide services to drug using offenders as part of the Home Office Drug Intervention Programme.
	Home Office studies have confirmed the association between illegal drug use and crime and particularly with the acquisitive crimes such as robbery, burglary and vehicle crime. Research also confirms that effective drug treatment reduces crime by drug misusing offenders. The monitoring of recorded acquisitive crime trends has become an effective measure of the effect of increasing the availability of drug treatment.
	Recorded acquisitive crime in England and Wales fell by 11 per cent. between December 2003 and December 2004. During 200304 Home Office recorded crime figures for Leeds showed robbery down by 26 per cent., burglary by 16 per cent., theft of a motor vehicle by 21 per cent. and theft from a motor vehicle by 12 per cent.

Drugs Act

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the compatibility of section 21 of the Drugs Act 2005 with European Union treaties in relation to free trade and the single market.

Paul Goggins: Home Office lawyers have advised that in their view the restriction in section 21 would be permitted under article 30 of the EC treaty on the grounds of public policy and/or for the protection of health and life of humans. When drafting section 21 and providing briefing for Ministers, officials referred to the following reports:
	1. Risk assessment report relating to paddos (psilocin and psilocybin): Coordination Centre for the Assessment and Monitoring of new drugsFebruary 2000
	2. Psilocine/Psilocybine mushroomslegal status across the EU: European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA)2004
	3. Acute psychological and physiological effects of psilocybin in healthy humans: a double-blind, placebo-controlled dose-effect study: Hasler et al2004

Emergency Workers

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will assess the merits of introducing legislation similar to the Emergency Workers (Scotland) Act 2005 in England and Wales.

Paul Goggins: holding answer 20 June 2005
	The Government are committed to ensuring tougher sentences for those involved in attacks on public sector workers. Such attacks can attract maximum sentences of between six months and life. The fact that a victim was serving the public is one factor already taken into account by the courts in sentencing and the Sentencing Guidelines Council have issued guidelines identifying this as a serious aggravating factor. The Sentencing Advisory Panel is due to issue a consultation in the summer on sentencing of violent crime, which we expect will also refer explicitly to an aggravating factor of a victim serving the public.
	We keep all legislation under review, and will be particularly interested in the Scottish experience. The Scottish Act is part of a wider programme in Scotland to protect emergency workers.
	The programme in England and Wales includes work by the Health and Safety Commission to help employers tackle work related violence. Across Government we are encouraging victims to report incidents more consistently; and video camera are being fitted in ambulances and fire appliances to increase detection rates.

Extradition

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State forthe Home Department how many US citizens have been extradited to the UK under the Extradition Act 2003.

Andy Burnham: Confirmed figures are available for the period between the implementation of the Extradition Act 2003 (the Act), on 1 January 2004, and 30 June 2005.
	Extradition requests made by the UK to territories other than those designated as category 1 under the Act do not fall within the statutory framework of the Act. Instead, they are made under the Crown prerogative. One US citizen was extradited to the UK between 1 January 2004 and 30 June 2005.

Extradition

Mohammad Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for theHome Department how many extradition requests have been made under the terms of the Extradition Act 2003.

Andy Burnham: It is necessary to distinguish between requests made by the UK under Part 3 of the Extradition Act 2003 (the Act); and all other requests. Confirmed figures are available for the period between the implementation of the Act, on 1 January 2004, and 30 June 2005.
	Part 3 requests are arrest warrants which have been issued by the UK to any territories designated as Category 1 under the Act. There were 139 Part 3 requests for individuals made by the UK between 1 January 2004 and 30 June 2005.
	Extradition requests made by the UK to any other territories do not fall within the statutory framework of the Act. Instead, they are made under the Crown prerogative. There were 58 such requests made for individuals by the UK between 1 January 2004 and 30 June 2005.

Extradition

Mohammad Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many extradition requests have been received under the terms of the Extradition Act 2003.

Andy Burnham: It is necessary to distinguish between requests to the UK made under Part 1, and those made under Part 2, of the Extradition Act 2003 (the Act). Confirmed figures are available for the period between the implementation of the Act, on 1 January 2004, and 30 June 2005. Part 1 requests are general circulations from all territories designated as Category 1 under the Act, and there is not necessarily a basis for believing that the requested person is in the UK. On this basis, there were 4,027 Part 1 requests for individuals received by the UK between 1 January 2004 and 30 June 2005. 110 of these resulted in arrests in the UK during that period.
	Part 2 requests are requests from all other territories, provided that they have reached a point at which Part 2 proceedings are initiated. By this definition, Part 2 requests include both: (a) requests made by the delivery of Full Order extradition papers to the British Government; and (b) requests in which a provisional arrest for extradition has been made but Full Order papers have not yet been delivered to the British Government. There were 137 Part 2 requests for individuals received by the UK between 1 January 2004 and 30 June 2005.

Freemasons

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what measures have been taken to encourage the declaration of membership of a masonic lodge among the police and the judiciary;
	(2)  who maintains the register of names of members of the (a) police and (b) judiciary who have declared membership of a masonic lodge;
	(3)  whether information in the register of members of the police and judiciary who are members of a masonic lodge is exempt from the Freedom of Information Act 2000;
	(4)  what estimate he has made of the numbers of members of the (a) police and (b) judiciary who are members of a masonic lodge who have not declared their interest.

Hazel Blears: Voluntary arrangements for the declaration of freemasonry membership have been established for the judiciary and the police service.
	For the judiciary, all first time successful candidates for appointment must, as a condition of appointment, declare their freemasonry status prior to appointment and must also declare any later admission to them. No central register of freemasonry membership is held.
	For the police, there is no statutory basis for the registers which are held internally by forces. We do not monitor centrally which forces continue to administer such registers. It is not possible to estimate the number of members who failed to declare their interest.
	Any requests for information held on registers would have to be considered by the force concerned on a case-by-case basis. Decisions on whether information should be released are the responsibility of the public authority receiving the request, acting in accordance with the principles of the Freedom of Information Act.

Identity Cards

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the number of existing facial images in police force databases which will be transferred into the Facial Images National Database.

Charles Clarke: The Police Information Technology Organisation are currently gathering data from all the forces in England and Wales. At present eight forces have provided data and the total number of images held within these forces are 793,000.

Identity Cards

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what advice his Department has received from (a) the Government Chief Information Officer and (b) the e-Government Unit on the identity cards scheme, with particular reference to the (i) costs and (ii) feasibility of the project.

Charles Clarke: The Identity Cards Programme Team has regular and wide ranging discussions across Government in relation to different aspects of the scheme, including with the Government Chief Information Officer and the e-Government Unit. A senior member of the Unit is a member of the Programme Board and the Chief Information Officer is a member of the Identity Cards Programme Strategy Board. These discussions have informed the contents of the Regulatory Impact Assessment which was published on 25 May and the Identity Cards Scheme Benefits Overview which was published on 28 June.

Illegal Drugs

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what changes have taken place in the prevalence of the consumption of (a) heroin, (b) cocaine and (c) cannabis in each year since 1998.

Paul Goggins: The British Crime Survey (BCS) measures the extent of drug use in England and Wales in the year before interview. The prevalence of the consumption of cannabis, heroin and cocaine (powder cocaine and crack cocaine) between 1998 and 200304 are shown in the table.
	In the 16 to 24 age range, the use of cannabis has fallen by 12 per cent. since 1998. The Schools Survey 1 also shows a decline in cannabis use among 11 to 15-year-olds. The use of cannabis remained stable among the full 16 to 59 age group.
	The BCS considers separately the extent both of powder cocaine and crack cocaine. Since 2000 the prevalence of powder cocaine by 16 to 24-year-olds has remained stable following a significant increase between 1998 and 2000. There has been no significant change in the prevalence of use of either crack cocaine or heroin between 1998 and 200304, for any age group.
	1 The Schools Survey is an annual survey of smoking, drinking and drug use among secondary school children in England aged 11 to 15. It is funded by the Home Office and the Department of Health and managed by the National Centre for Social Research.
	
		Figures for the proportion of (a) young people (aged 16 to 24 years) and (b) all adults (aged 16 to 59 years) reporting having used different drugs in the year before interview based on British Crime Survey data
		
			  1998 2000 200102 200203 200304 Significance of percentage change 1998 to 200304 
		
		
			 16 to 24-year-olds   
			 Cannabis 28.2 27.0 26.9 25.8 24.8 (59) 
			 Cocaine (powder) 3.1 5.2 4.9 4.7 4.9 (59) 
			 Crack Cocaine 0.3 0.9 0.5 0.5 0.4 n/s 
			 Heroin 0.3 0.8 0.3 0.2 0.4 n/s 
			
			 16 to 59-year-olds   
			 Cannabis 10.3 10.5 10.6 10.9 10.8 n/s 
			 Cocaine (powder) 1.2 2.0 2.0 2.1 2.4 (59) 
			 Crack Cocaine 0.1 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.2 n/s 
			 Heroin 0.1 0.3 0.1 0.1 0.1 n/s 
		
	
	n/s=no significant difference.
	(59)Statistically significant difference at the 5 per cent. level.
	Notes:
	1.As with all survey estimates, particularly those for comparatively rare behaviours such as class A drug use, these estimates are subject to uncertainty. Apparently large year on year changes can occur by chance and cannot necessarily be considered indicative of a real trend over time.
	2.From 2001, the reporting year for BCS data switched from calendar to financial years.
	3.The figures are weighted using population estimates provided by the Office for National Statistics.
	Sources:
	1998, 2000, 200102 and 200203 BCS.

Illegal Immigrants

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps the Government are taking to ensure that illegal immigrants are returned to their country of origin.

Tony McNulty: Between 1999 and 2003, the total number of people removed from the UK has more than trebled.
	The Government have introduced a number of measures to ensure that we return those who have no basis of stay in the United Kingdom, and who fail to leave voluntarily. These include increased staffing; more intelligence led operations; increasing the use of charter flights; expanding the detention estate; enhancing contact management by introducing measures such as electronic tagging and promoting and increasing the number of voluntary returns and seeking greater co-operation from overseas counterparts to speed up documentation and open up more return routes.

Illegal Immigrants

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much is being spent to combat illegal immigration at Tilbury Docks.

Tony McNulty: It is not possible to provide a breakdown of the amount of money that is spent specifically at Tilbury on combating illegal immigration.

Illegal Immigrants

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the cost to public funds in a year of illegal immigrants residing in the UK.

Tony McNulty: No government has ever been able to produce an accurate figure for the number of people who are in the country illegally.

InnerChange Prison Programme

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the InnerChange prison programme at HMP Dartmoor.

Fiona Mactaggart: holding answer 27 June 2005
	The programme has been in place for too short a time to analyse effectively the effect it has had on the attendees of the course and assess its benefits. There are no plans at present to introduce this programme to other prisons. At the conclusion of this pilot programme at Dartmoor, a thorough analysis and evaluation will be undertaken prior to any decisions being made on expansion.

Juvenile Offenders

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many young people of school age have been found guilty of committing a crime in (a) Southend constituency, (b) Essex, (c) Greater London and (d) England and Wales in the last five years for which figures are available;
	(2)  what the most common form of crime committed by young people of school age was in (a) Southend, West constituency, (b) Essex, (c) Greater London and (d) England and Wales in the last five years for which figures are available.

Hazel Blears: The available information from the Home Office Court Proceedings database is contained in the tables and gives the number of young people of school age found guilty of committing a crime and the most frequent offence for which a conviction was given in South East Essex petty sessional area, Essex, Greater London and England and Wales, 19992003. It is not possible to identify those offenders in the Southend and Southend, West constituencies, as the data do not go down to this level of detail.
	In addition to court proceedings statistics, the number of young people of school age given Reprimands or Final Warnings in Essex, Greater London and England and Wales are also provided in the table.
	Statistics for 2004 will be available in the autumn.
	
		Number of young people of school age (10 to 16 years) convicted or cautioned, 19992003(60)
		
			  South East Essex PSA(61) Essex Greater London England and Wales 
		
		
			 Convictions 
			 1999 288 1,320 6,463 54,266 
			 2000 218 1,322 6,497 55,954 
			 2001 297 1,512 7,554 59,152 
			 2002 263 1,312 7,562 58,171 
			 2003 229 1,281 6,948 57,144 
			 Total 1,295 6,747 35,024 284,687 
			  
			 Cautions(62) 
			 1999  1,939 11,962 85,803 
			 2000  1,856 10,553 81 ,825 
			 2001  2,075 9,452 82,847 
			 2002  1,686 7,499 71,435 
			 2003  1,666 7,476 75,916 
			 Total  9,222 46,942 397,826 
		
	
	(60)These data are on the principal offence basis.
	(61)Covers Southend and some parts of Rayleigh, Benfleet and Canvey. Figures for cautions are not available separately for Southend.
	(62)In June 2000 reprimands and final warnings replaced juvenile cautions.

Management Consultancies

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which five management consultancies received the highest value of contracts awarded by his Department in each of the last three years; and what the total value was of the contracts awarded to each.

Charles Clarke: The Home Office does not have a unified purchasing and payment system in place to provide central information covering the whole Home Office group including Executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies. The table which shows the information that has been collated from the data that is available from across the office will be placed in the Library. No figures on the top five consultancy suppliers are available for the core Home Office for 200203.
	The Department awards contracts in open competition according to the EU Procurement Regulations, based on best value for money. The use of external consultants in the Home Office provides the Department with specialist knowledge, skill, capacity and technical expertise that is not otherwise available in house.

National Probation Directorate (Risk Assessment)

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the risk assessment commissioned by the National Probation Directorate in March concluded (a) that the risk of a loss of key skills resulting in the inadequate supervision of offenders was high, (b) that the risk of the e-mail IT system failing to deliver the benefits of a joined up criminal justice system was very high and (c) that the risk of inadequate supervision of cases leading to high profile media attention and unmanageable policy making was high.

Fiona Mactaggart: The risk management process that was followed in March 2005 evaluated the above three risks to have a high likelihood rating and a high impact rating. The National Probation Directorate have however put in place review and control measures to ensure that these risks do not pose any threat to the successful delivery of the 200506 Business Plan.
	Although the severity status of these risks were rated high, it does not necessarily mean the risk rating will remain the same throughout the business plan period. There are many other factors both internal and external that will influence how the risk rating changes during the business plan year.

Offender Registration

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects the Vicious and Sex Offenders Register to be completed; what the budget for the project was; and what the cost so far has been.

Hazel Blears: All 43 forces in England and Wales havebeen operational on the Violent Sexual Offenders Register(ViSOR) since March 2005. ViSOR is also operational in all eight Scottish forces and in Northern Ireland.
	The cost of delivering ViSOR was 9.7 million in total over a four year period and was within the budget allocated to the programme.

Passports

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many passports and documents handed in have been lost after being deposited at the Immigration and Nationality Directorate in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: Information on the number of passports and documents lost after being received by the Immigration and Nationality Directorate would be available only at disproportionate cost.

Pastor Danny Nalliah

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether any member of his Department met Pastor Danny Nalliah during his recent visit to the UK.

Charles Clarke: So far as can be ascertained, no one from the Home Office met with Danny Nalliah during his last visit to the UK.

Police

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average age of police (a) constables, (b) sergeants, (c) inspectors, (d) chief inspectors, (d) superintendents and (e) chief superintendents was in the last year for which figures are available.

Hazel Blears: Information is not available in the form requested. Data on age of police officers are collected centrally by age group. The latest available data for the 43 police forces in England and Wales are given in a table which will be placed in the Library.

Police

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what criteria were used to determine the membership of police authorities; what guidance has been issued on composition; and if he will require police authorities to include members of district councils in their membership.

Hazel Blears: The membership of police authorities is determined by the Police Act 1996. No guidance has been issued with regard to their composition but, there is joint Home Office/Association of Police Authorities guidance about the selection and appointment of independent members and lay justice members on police authorities. The White Paper Building Communities, Beating CrimeA better police service for the 21st Century proposed changes to strengthen the calibre, representative nature and democratic legitimacy of police authority membership including a possible approach to two-tier areas, together with proposals for unitary areas. The Government are considering the way ahead in the light of the responses to the White Paper. Legislation would be needed to give effect to any changes to the membership of police authorities.

Police

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers are employed on anti-terrorist activities; and if he will make a statement.

Charles Clarke: All police officers are engaged in and contribute towards countering the threat from terrorism. It would not be in the interests of national security to disclose the numbers of police officers who are engaged on specialised counter terrorist work such as intelligence gathering or investigations.

Police

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the total establishment is of (a) police officers and (b) community police officers; and how many Muslims are serving in each category.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 18 July 2005
	There were 140,135 police officers in England and Wales on 30 September 2004. Police strength for 31 March 2005 is scheduled to be published on 25 July.
	Information on the functions to which police officers are deployed is collected annually and the latest available is for 31 March 2004. There were more than 5,000 police officers deployed to community safety/relations duties in March 2004. Other police officers may also undertake community policing, but are not recorded as undertaking this function because it is not their main duty.
	Information on religious affiliation of police officers or police staff, including Community Support Officers, is not centrally collected.

Police

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for theHome Department what recent discussions he has had with the (a) Chief Constable and (b) police authority in Milton Keynes regarding structural re-organisation.

Hazel Blears: The Home Secretary has not had any recent discussion with the Chief Constable or police authority of Thames Valley regarding structural reorganisation. However, at the Association of Chief Police Officers on 19 May, the Home Secretary made it clear that he did not believe that the current structure of 43 forces was the most effective and efficient arrangement for organising policing in England and Wales. He also made it clear that he had no blueprint for amalgamations, but that the initiative for such amalgamations should be driven locally. To inform the way forward, my right hon. Friend has commissioned Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary to examine the issue of force structures. As well as looking at the case for structural changes, Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary will also be examining the case for greater collaboration and co-operation between forces.

Police

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of police time was spent on front line policing in 200405.

Hazel Blears: The police performance monitors published in September 2004 showed that 63.6 per cent. of police time is spent on front line policing. We expect the police service as a whole to improve the average to over 72 per cent. by 200708. This will be a gain in time equivalent to more than 12,000 extra officers. Police authorities have set local improvement targets for their forces.

Pre-sentence Reports

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what procedures are followed during the period between convictions and sentencing when a judge requests a pre-sentence report; how that report is compiled; and who is consulted before the report is completed.

Fiona Mactaggart: The guidelines for completing a PSR are contained in Probation Service National Standards and in other guidance issued by the National Probation Directorate. The PSR will be informed by the CPS court papers and there will normally be at least one face-to-face interview with the offender. In all cases the Probation Service will assess likelihood of reconviction and any risk of harm posed by the offender. In the more serious or complicated cases these and other factors will be investigated through use of the Offender Assessment System (OASys). The finished PSR will take account of this and the other information obtained in its preparation and will contain a suitable sentencing proposal.
	Those consulted during the completion of a PSR will vary according to the needs of the case but might include Social Services, local authorities or other criminal justice agencies.

Prisons/Prisoners

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the projected size of the prison case load is for financial years (a) 200506, (b) 200607, (c) 200708 and (d) 200809.

Fiona Mactaggart: The latest prison population projections are published in the Home Office Statistical Bulletin 01/05 Prison Population Projections, 20052011, England and Wales. Figures for 10 scenarios can be found in this document. The scenarios range from 'High' to 'Low'. Projected total prison population figures (annual averages) for High and Low scenarios for the relevant financial years are presented in the table.
	
		
			 Financial year High scenario Low scenario 
		
		
			 200506 74,150 74,030 
			 200607 78,880 74,080 
			 200708 82,580 76,860 
			 200809 84,190 76,770

Prisons/Prisoners

Humfrey Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what educational opportunities are available to prisoners sentenced to three months imprisonment or less;
	(2)  what plans he has to increase educational opportunities for prisoners; and if he will make a statement.

Fiona Mactaggart: We aim to increase educational opportunities for all offender learners and to offer opportunities which are relevant to future employability. From 1 August, the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) will begin to take responsibility for delivering an integrated learning and skills service for offenders both in custody and the community. The new arrangements commence in three regions (the north-west, north-east and south-west), with the remaining six regions in England following in August 2006. An explicit link with mainstream post-16 education provision and a greater focus on skills will lead to greater employability on release, in order to contribute to reducing re-offending.
	Educational opportunities for those offenders in prison for less than three months are the same as for all other prisoners.

Prisons/Prisoners

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average cost of a place in each prison in (a) the Prison Estate and (b) privately run establishments in the last 12 months was; and if he will make a statement.

Fiona Mactaggart: The average cost per prisoner place for each prison in both the public and contracted prisons' estates for 200304 are set out in the tables.
	
		Cost per prisoner place(63)Contracted prisons 200304
		
			   
		
		
			 Altcourse 50,747 
			 Ashfield 32,041 
			 Doncaster 24,769 
			 Dovegate 25,916 
			 Forest Bank 26,080 
			 Lowdham 24,499 
			 Pare 39,645 
			 Rye Hill 23,671 
			 Wolds (64) 21,861 
		
	
	(63)The costs for private prisons excludes capital charges (Cost of Capital, Cost of Capital Credit and Depreciation)
	(64)HMP Bronzefield, a privately run prison, opened in June 2004 and HMP Peterborough opened in March 2005 and are therefore excluded from this data.
	
		Cost per prisoner placepublic sector prisons 200304
		
			 Function name Establishment Cost per place () 
		
		
			 Category B Albany 21,259 
			 Category B Garth 23,093 
			 Category B Gartree 26,992 
			 Category B Grendon 24,163 
			 Category B High Down 28,263 
			 Category B Kingston 27,871 
			 Category B Parkhurst 32,194 
			 Category B Swaleside 19,583 
			 Category C Acklington 18,116 
			 Category C Ashwell 18,644 
			 Category C Blundeston 27,849 
			 Category C Camp Hill 22,934 
			 Category C Canterbury 35,204 
			 Category C Channings Wood 21,775 
			 Category C Coldingley 24,671 
			 Category C Dartmoor 22,182 
			 Category C Erlestoke 19,522 
			 Category C Everthorpe 21,038 
			 Category C Featherstone 22,842 
			 Category C Guys Marsh 19,796 
			 Category C Haverigg 20,230 
			 Category C Highpoint 18,850 
			 Category C Lancaster 41,263 
			 Category C Lindholme 22,577 
			 Category C Littlehey 18,248 
			 Category C Maidstone 20,875 
			 Category C Moorland 22,200 
			 Category C Mount 20,034 
			 Category C Ranby 22,190 
			 Category C Risley 19,916 
			 Category C Shepton Mallet 34,542 
			 Category C Stafford 20,664 
			 Category C Stocken 18,964 
			 Category C Usk/Prescoed 25,783 
			 Category C Verne 18,738 
			 Category C Wayland 17,659 
			 Category C Wealstun 20,876 
			 Category C Weare 21,158 
			 Category C Wellingborough 20,209 
			 Category C Whatton 20,592 
			 Category C Wymott 20,901 
			 Dispersal Frankland 44,603 
			 Dispersal Full Sutton 44,316 
			 Dispersal Long Lartin 36,387 
			 Dispersal Wakefield 29,128 
			 Dispersal Whitemoor 49,885 
			 Female closed Buckley Hall 25,014 
			 Female closed Bullwood Hall 41,877 
			 Female closed Cookham Wood 37,698 
			 Female closed Downview 29,185 
			 Female closed Foston Hall 28,852 
			 Female closed Send 27,613 
			 Female local Brockhill 43,767 
			 Female local Eastwood Park 31,621 
			 Female local Edmunds Hill 26,966 
			 Female local Holloway 45,461 
			 Female local Low Newton 29,507 
			 Female local New Hall 40,449 
			 Female local Styal 32,065 
			 Female open Askham Grange 24,564 
			 Female open East Sutton Park 27,378 
			 Male closed young offender Aylesbury 30,000 
			 Male closed young offender Brinsford 30,859 
			 Male closed young offender Castington 33,703 
			 Male closed young offender Deerbolt 24,982 
			 Male closed young offender Feltham 43,209 
			 Male closed young offender Glen Parva 28,574 
			 Male closed young offender Hindley 34,577 
			 Male closed young offender Lancaster Farms 31,227 
			 Male closed young offender Northallerton 39,046 
			 Male closed young offender Onley 24,791 
			 Male closed young offender Portland 24,579 
			 Male closed young offender Reading 43,345 
			 Male closed young offender Rochester 23,124 
			 Male closed young offender Stoke Heath 30,410 
			 Male closed young offender Swinfen Hall 27,683 
			 Male juvenile Huntercombe 38,011 
			 Male juvenile Warren Hill 43,382 
			 Male juvenile Werrington 43,564 
			 Male juvenile Wetherby 32,621 
			 Male local Bedford 32,594 
			 Male local Belmarsh 44,331 
			 Male local Birmingham 28,605 
			 Male local Blakenhurst 22,138 
			 Male local Bristol 41,048 
			 Male local Brixton 33,244 
			 Male local Bullingdon 24,756 
			 Male local Cardiff 29,900 
			 Male local Chelmsford 31,342 
			 Male local Dorchester 46,779 
			 Male local Durham 40,353 
			 Male local Elmley 21,417 
			 Male local Exeter 38,715 
			 Male local Gloucester 39,295 
			 Male local Holme House 22,994 
			 Male local Hull 26,807 
			 Male local Leeds 32,001 
			 Male local Leicester 45,381 
			 Male local Lewes 25,054 
			 Male local Lincoln 31,276 
			 Male local Liverpool 24,459 
			 Male local Manchester 29,607 
			 Male local Norwich 30,082 
			 Male local Nottingham 32,086 
			 Male local Pentonville 29,595 
			 Male local Preston 36,184 
			 Male local Shrewsbury 42,890 
			 Male local Swansea 41,215 
			 Male local Wandsworth 27,437 
			 Male local Winchester 34,185 
			 Male local Woodhill 39,035 
			 Male local Wormwood Scrubs 24,739 
			 Male open Ford 14,328 
			 Male open Hewell Grange 20,844 
			 Male open Hollesley Bay 21,093 
			 Male open Kirkham 21,105 
			 Male open Leyhill 19,997 
			 Male open North Sea Camp 15,034 
			 Male open Standford Hill 18,182 
			 Male open Sudbury 15,896 
			 Male open young offender Thorn Cross 25,573 
			 Semi open Blantyre House 22,987 
			 Semi open Dover 27,012 
			 Semi open Drake Hall 23,722 
			 Semi open Haslar 26,154 
			 Semi open Kirklevington 17,021 
			 Semi open Latchmere House 19,366 
			 Semi open Morton Hall 22,248

Prisons/Prisoners

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many juvenile offenders are held in (a) young offenders institutions and (b) elsewhere within the Prison Estate; and if he will make a statement.

Fiona Mactaggart: On 31 May 2005 there were 2,299 juveniles aged 15 to 17 held in prison establishments in England and Wales, as recorded on the Prison Service IT system. Of these, 1,809 were sentenced juveniles held in young offenders institutions (YOI) under YOI rules. There were a further 488 remand juveniles held in prison accommodation under prison rules, and three juveniles aged 15 to 17 held under the Immigration Act. Juvenile prisoners are held separately from other young offenders in juvenile units.
	The figures exclude sentenced 18-year-olds held in juvenile units who are either completing the final part of their sentence prior to release, or waiting to be transferred to a YOI unit for young adults aged 18 to 20. They also exclude those held outside the prison estate in secure training centres and local authority secure children's homes.

Prisons/Prisoners

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many out-of-cell hours prisoners in each prison are permitted.

Fiona Mactaggart: The average number of daily hours that prisoners in each establishment spent out of their cells on weekdays and weekends during the financial year 200405 is given in the following table.
	The number of hours that prisoners are permitted to spend out of their cells will vary across the estate. Some establishments may record in excess of 20 hours a day. This will reflect the prison's open category where the level of security is such that prisoners have the right to associate freely for most or all of the day and have broadfreedom of movement within the prison. Other establishments display considerably less time out of cell available due to the need for greater supervision and attention.
	
		
			   Establishment name Average of time unlocked on a weekday Average of time unlocked on a weekend day 
		
		
			 Acklington 10.4 9.2 
			 Albany 9.5 7.7 
			 Altcourse 13.1 12.3 
			 Ashfield 10.5 10.5 
			 Ashwell 15.5 15.5 
			 Askham Grange 16.0 16.0 
			 Aylesbury 8.5 6.8 
			 Bedford 8.6 5.9 
			 Belmarsh 9.5 6.0 
			 Birmingham 7.3 6.2 
			 Blakenhurst 8.5 8.3 
			 Blantyre House 15.3 15.3 
			 Blundeston 10.2 7.3 
			 Brinsford 8.5 6.9 
			 Bristol 7.9 6.0 
			 Brixton 7.2 5.4 
			 Brockhill 8.6 7.0 
			 Bronzefield 12.0 10.1 
			 Buckley Hall 13.1 12.8 
			 Bullingdon 8.6 6.3 
			 Bullwood Hall 10.6 7.7 
			 Camp Hill 11.0 8.5 
			 Canterbury 7.8 7.7 
			 Cardiff 9.5 6.0 
			 Castington 8.3 7.6 
			 Channings Wood 9.7 7.0 
			 Chelmsford 7.6 4.1 
			 Coldingley 12.0 9.2 
			 Cookham Wood 9.2 7.5 
			 Dartmoor 10.6 8.4 
			 Deerbolt 8.2 5.4 
			 Doncaster 11.5 11.5 
			 Dorchester 7.9 8.7 
			 Dovegate 11.9 10.5 
			 Dover 12.0 11.7 
			 Downview 10.7 8.7 
			 Drake Hall 16.0 16.0 
			 Durham 9.8 4.0 
			 East Sutton Park 17.0 17.0 
			 Eastwood Park 11.3 8.4 
			 Edmunds Hill 9.5 9.5 
			 Elmley 8.5 7.8 
			 Erlestoke 11.1 9.7 
			 Everthorpe 9.1 7.8 
			 Exeter 8.3 7.4 
			 Featherstone 8.6 10.1 
			 Feltham 7.9 7.2 
			 Ford 13.3 13.3 
			 Forest Bank 10.5 9.6 
			 Foston Hall 10.8 9.5 
			 Frankland 9.3 7.0 
			 Full Sutton 9.4 7.5 
			 Garth 10.0 7.5 
			 Gartree 10.0 7.3 
			 Glen Parva 8.9 5.7 
			 Gloucester 6.9 5.2 
			 Grendon 12.8 8.8 
			 Guys Marsh 9.5 7.5 
			 Haslar 11.0 10.3 
			 Haverigg 10.4 9.7 
			 Hewell Grange 24.0 24.0 
			 High Down 6.4 5.0 
			 Highpoint 10.0 7.5 
			 Hindley 9.9 9.9 
			 Hollesley Bay 15.5 15.5 
			 Holloway 9.0 7.1 
			 Holme House 6.1 5.2 
			 Hull 7.9 7.3 
			 Huntercombe 10.1 8.7 
			 Kingston 11.3 7.9 
			 Kirkham 13.5 13.0 
			 Kirklevington 19.0 19.0 
			 Lancaster 10.0 7.5 
			 Lancaster Farms 10.7 9.7 
			 Latchmere House 19.0 19.0 
			 Leeds 8.9 8.1 
			 Leicester 9.7 7.1 
			 Lewes 7.8 6.5 
			 Leyhill 16.0 16.0 
			 Lincoln 8.9 6.8 
			 Lindholme 10.9 8.4 
			 Littlehey 9.5 7.9 
			 Liverpool 8.4 8.5 
			 Long Lartin 9.0 7.9 
			 Low Newton 10.5 8.5 
			 Lowdham Grange 13.0 11.9 
			 Maidstone 10.0 7.7 
			 Manchester 9.4 8.5 
			 Moorland 12.6 5.7 
			 Morton Hall 15.0 15.0 
			 Mount 8.7 6.9 
			 New Hall 11.4 11.0 
			 North Sea Camp 16.7 16.7 
			 Northallerton 8.8 6.5 
			 Norwich 8.8 7.3 
			 Nottingham 7.1 3.7 
			 Onley 8.9 7.7 
			 Parc 10.2 10.1 
			 Parkhurst 9.2 6.7 
			 Pentonville 7.8 7.1 
			 Portland 7.6 5.0 
			 Preston 8.7 7.5 
			 Ranby 10.6 9.7 
			 Reading 8.0 6.6 
			 Risley 10.5 10.0 
			 Rochester 9.0 6.0 
			 Rye Hill 11.4 11.7 
			 Send 12.7 12.6 
			 Shepton Mallet 10.0 8.1 
			 Shrewsbury 9.5 13.7 
			 Stafford 9.5 5.4 
			 Standford Hill 12.0 12.0 
			 Stocken 10.8 7.2 
			 Stoke Heath 10.3 10.2 
			 Styal 11.6 11.6 
			 Sudbury 12.9 12.9 
			 Swaleside 9.9 7.2 
			 Swansea 9.2 8.5 
			 Swinfen Hall 10.4 6.8 
			 Thorn Cross 12.5 12.5 
			 UskPrescoed 13.8 12.9 
			 Verne 16.0 16.0 
			 Wakefield 9.0 6.6 
			 Wandsworth 6.4 4.2 
			 Warren Hill 10.5 10.0 
			 Wayland 11.5 10.1 
			 Wealstun 11.3 11.1 
			 Weare 9.5 8.4 
			 Wellingborough 9.7 7.7 
			 Werrington 10.7 8.0 
			 Wetherby 9.8 6.5 
			 Whatton 13.1 10.8 
			 Whitemoor 9.7 7.5 
			 Winchester 9.4 7.1 
			 Wolds 12.6 10.6 
			 Woodhill 8.5 6.3 
			 Wormwood Scrubs 8.0 5.1 
			 Wymott 11.1 10.0

Prisons/Prisoners

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how long each prison governor as at 1 June had served (a) as a prison officer and (b) as a governor; who the governor of each prison is; how old each will be on 1 July; on which date each joined the Prison Service; how long each has been a governor; and when each is expected to retire.

Fiona Mactaggart: A list of current governing governors of public sector Prison Service establishments, together with information on the length of time they have served as governing governor at any establishment, and their start date with the Prison Service is contained in the following table. Comprehensive information on time spent in officer grades is not readily available and could be collected only at disproportionate cost. Information provided which is attributed to individuals, in this case on age and retirement is considered personal information. In line with data protection legislation, we can only provide this with individuals' consent. Obtaining this consent could be done only at disproportionate cost.
	Information on the career histories and personal details of contracted (privately) managed establishments is not held centrally and could be collected only at disproportionate cost.
	The directors of contracted establishments are as follows:
	
		Current governorsas at 1 July 2005
		
			 Current establishment Governing governor as Total time in months Original start 
		
		
			 Acklington Mike Kirby 117 26 May 1980 
			 Albany Mel Jones 38 23 September1985 
			 Ashwell Chris Di Paolo 15 24 September 1984 
			 Askham Grange Dawn Elaine 45 22 October 1990 
			 Aylesbury David Kennedy 55 12 March 1979 
			 Bedford Guy Baulf 16 15 July 1985 
			 Belmarsh Geoff Hughes 71 28 September 1981 
			 Birmingham Mike Shann 85 8 May 1967 
			 Blakenhurst Ferdie Parker 24 5 October 1987 
			 Blantyre House Kieron Taylor 8 17 August 1981 
			 Blundeston Teresa Clarke 26 22 November 1990 
			 Brinsford Tom Watson 52 29 April 1974 
			 Bristol Suzy Dymond-White 2 20 July1987 
			 Brixton John Podmore 55 1 September 1985 
			 Brockhill/Hewell Grange Alison Gomme n/a 16 November 1981 
			 Buckley Hall Sue Morrison 38 28 September 1981 
			 Bullingdon Sue Saunders 37 3 April 1989 
			 Bullwood Hall Mukhtar Poselay 8 21 August 1972 
			 Camp Hill Bob Bennett 93 6 July 1968 
			 Canterbury Helen Rinaldi 38 14 January 1985 
			 Cardiff Paul Tidball 99 27 September 1976 
			 Castington Matt Spencer 17 16 November 1987 
			 Channings Wood Jeannine Hendrick 2 3 October 1988 
			 Chelmsford Nigel Smith 3 15 August 1988 
			 Coldingley Paul McDowell 17 29 May 1990 
			 Cookham Wood Ed Tullett 18 25 April 1979 
			 Dartmoor Serena Watts 1 4 October 1999 
			 Deerbolt Alan Tallentire 30 8 May 1984 
			 Dorchester Steve Holland 38 30 September 1991 
			 Dover Val Whitecross 31 28 September1981 
			 Downview Advertised 13 June 2005 n/a n/a 
			 Drake Hall John Huntington 22 25 February 1980 
			 Durham Sandy McEwan 26 30 November 1998 
			 East Sutton Park Robin Carter 76 1 March 1983 
			 Eastwood Park Tim Beeston 73 22 October 1984 
			 Edmunds Hill Norma King 8 15 August 1988 
			 Elmley Chris Bartlett 61 23 September 1985 
			 Erlestoke Doug Moon 2 20 May 1974 
			 Everthorpe Gary Monaghan 5 24 June 1991 
			 Exeter Mark Flinton 1 2 January 1990 
			 Featherstone Mike Bolton 61 29 May 1984 
			 Feltham Andrew Cross 56 12 August 1985 
			 Ford Fiona Radford 19 23 September 1985 
			 Foston Hall Paddy Striven 101 29 October 1973 
			 Frankland Phil Copple 63 1 October 1990 
			 Full Sutton Bob Mullen 81 27 September 1982 
			 Garth Bob McColm 45 1 August 1975 
			 Gartree Julia Morgan 54 25 September 1978 
			 Glen Parva Brian Edwards 40 3 January 1972 
			 Gloucester David Chalmers 50 20 May 1974 
			 Grendon Peter Bennett 57 26 September 1983 
			 Guys Marsh Barry Greenberry 53 22 October 1984 
			 Haslar Carole Draper 16 1 September 1984 
			 Haverigg Sue McCullagh 27 16 November 1981 
			 Hewell Grange/Brockhill Alison Gomme 74 16 November 1981 
			 Highdown Peter Dawson 15 1 October 1984 
			 Highpoint Sue Doolan 59 28 September 1981 
			 Hindley Jayne Blake 67 28 October 1974 
			 Hollesley Bay Ken Kan 62 29 September 1980 
			 Holloway Tony Hassall 43 25 June 1990 
			 Holme House Mick Lees 99 12 February 1979 
			 Hull Steve Tilley 52 2 October 1978 
			 Huntercombe Elaine Jones 41 19 March 1979 
			 Kingston John Robinson 62 1 November 1982 
			 Kirkham Steve Lawrence 27 7 May 1985 
			 Kirklevington Alan Richer 36 28 September 1982 
			 Lancaster Derek Harrison 20 1 January 1991 
			 Lancaster Farms Terry Williams 24 20 July 1992 
			 Latchmere House Ruth Kringle 1 14 December 1992 
			 Leeds Ian Blakeman 29 25 September 1989 
			 Leicester Steve Turner 21 28 April 1975 
			 Lewes Eoin McLennan-Murray 68 25 September 1978 
			 Leyhill Richard Booty 71 23 September 1985 
			 Lincoln Lynne Saunders 14 21 September 1992 
			 Lindholme Martin Ward 50 25 March 1974 
			 Littlehey David Taylor n/a n/a 
			 Liverpool Cathy James 76 22 October 1984 
			 Long Lartin Nick Leader 46 23 September 1985 
			 Low Newton Andrea Whitfield 3 22 October 1990 
			 Maidstone Jane Galbally 83 27 September 1976 
			 Manchester Chris Sheffield 74 29 September 1980 
			 Moorland Jacqui Tilley 30 20 December 1980 
			 Morton Hall Damian Evans 12 16 September 1992 
			 New Hall Sara Snell 53 25 September 1989 
			 North Sea Camp N. Warwick 2 28 September 1982 
			 Northallerton Bill Shaw 43 9 July 1979 
			 Norwich James Shanley 32 8 August 1983 
			 Nottingham Wendy Sinclair-Gieben 8 29 June 1998 
			 Onley Alison Perry 14 23 September 1985 
			 Parkhurst Steve Metcalf 57 12 October 1970 
			 Pentonville Gary Deighton 54 22 September 1986 
			 Portland Steve Twinn 28 3 September 1968 
			 Preston Alan Brown 35 27 March 1972 
			 Ranby Phil Wragg 35 20 July 1987 
			 Reading Pauline Bryant 13 8 December 1986 
			 Risley Paul Norbury 53 28 September 1982 
			 Rochester Stephen O'Connell 9 30 March 1987 
			 Send Brian Ritchie 29 27 September 1971 
			 Shepton Mallet Nick Evans 102 27 September 1976 
			 Shrewsbury Gerry Hendry 5 21 July 1980 
			 Stafford Louise Taylor 59 28 September 1981 
			 Standford Hill John Wilson 19 8 May 1978 
			 Stocken Moira Barlett 21 29 September 1980 
			 Stoke Heath Peter Small 17 13 August 1990 
			 Styal Steve Hall 16 25 September 1989 
			 Sudbury Chris Davidson 81 26 September 1977 
			 Swaleside Tony Robson 72 28 September 1982 
			 Swansea Phil Taylor 28 31 July 1978 
			 Swinfen Hall Peter Knapton 35 5 May 1975 
			 The Mount Steve Rodford 22 25 July 1988 
			 The Verne Mike Cook 72 24 September 1979 
			 Thorn Cross Clive Chatterton 10 8 September 1975 
			 Usk/Prescoed Phil Morgan 25 8 August 1977 
			 Wakefield Dave Thompson 45 25 February 1980 
			 Wandsworth Ian Mulholland 42 14 May 1990 
			 Warren Hill Stuart Robinson 60 30 September 1968 
			 Wayland Michael Wood 29 9 September 1974 
			 Wealstun Amy Rice 26 11 September 1995 
			 Weare Denise Calvert 104 23 September 1985 
			 Wellingborough Jim Lewis 32 12 May 1986 
			 Werrington Frank Flynn 29 6 September 1976 
			 Wetherby Paul Foweather 16 8 September 1985 
			 Whatton Viv Hart 78 26 September 1983 
			 Whitemoor Martin Lomas 46 23 September 1985 
			 Winchester Cathy Allison 45 29 September 1986 
			 Woodhill Edd Willetts 133 29 September 1980 
			 Wormwood Scrubs Luke Serjeant 56 10 October 1983 
			 Wymott Alan Scott 73 26 September 1983

Prisons/Prisoners

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the (a) running cost of each establishment in the Prison Service and (b) average number of people held at that establishment was in the last three years for which figures are available.

Fiona Mactaggart: The running costs for each prison establishment for the last three years are detailed in table 1. The average population for each prison establishment for the last three years is contained in table 2.
	
		Table 1: Running costs of each prison establishment in England and Wales -- 
		
			  200203 200304 200405 
		
		
			 Public prisons
			 Acklington 13,054,221 15,788,473 14,832,070 
			 Albany 10,214,992 10,898,755 11,200,111 
			 Ashwell 8,886,442 9,820,622 10,209,699 
			 Askham Grange 3,010,142 3,504,485 3,628,808 
			 Aylesbury 11,665,889 12,479,820 12,999,179 
			 Bedford 9,496,198 10,592,950 11,910,478 
			 Belmarsh 31,517,399 35,243,301 35,101,849 
			 Birmingham 18,407,049 26,001,933 28,115,789 
			 Blakenhurst 12,205,742 14,323,009 17,547,075 
			 Blantyre House 2,610,224 2,804,447 2,847,341 
			 Blundeston 10,665,341 11,696,407 11,220,183 
			 Brinsford 13,067,320 14,719,850 15,253,675 
			 Bristol 17,726,084 17,527,369 17,654,815 
			 Brixton 19,738,370 20,145,741 21,694,228 
			 Brockhill 6,545,910 7,177,766 7,066,126 
			 Buckley Hall 8,002,424 8,754,833 9,618,038 
			 Bullingdon 16,450,925 18,905,326 19,263,748 
			 Bullwood Hall 6,735,862 7,537,890 8,107,852 
			 Camp Hill 10,773,950 11,650,349 11,589,936 
			 Canterbury 6,718,209 6,905,822 7,028,161 
			 Cardiff 14,263,886 15,517,952 15,899,772 
			 Castington 12,033,756 13,481,139 14,049,927 
			 Channings Wood 12,381,004 13,442,288 13,496,966 
			 Chelmsford 12,872,923 13,939,442 15,601,356 
			 Coldingley 8,151,903 9,128,149 9,140,570 
			 Cookham Wood 3,973,515 4,523,753 4,674,198 
			 Dartmoor 14,952,729 15,438,615 14,941,524 
			 Deerbolt 10,672,540 12,815,868 13,998,620 
			 Dorchester 6,397,176 6,958,361 7,045,806 
			 Dover 7,531,999 8,535,931 8,611,126 
			 Downview 8,572,194 9,514,317 10,569,695 
			 Drake Hall 6,516,051 7,472,585 7,927,240 
			 Durham 23,777,700 25,058,947 21,897,082 
			 East Sutton Park 2,663,045 2,573,576 2,436,134 
			 Eastwood Park 8,042,491 9,913,081 10,274,898 
			 Elmley 16,103,052 16,341,015 16,768,876 
			 Erlestoke 6,908,722 8,121,059 8,270,228 
			 Everthorpe 8,302,402 9,197,297 9,558,717 
			 Exeter 11,607,391 12,234,022 11,964,287 
			 Featherstone 13,097,562 13,682,194 13,722,618 
			 Feltham 30,914,848 34,739,708 38,423,319 
			 Ford 7,235,485 7,751 ,286 8,155,014 
			 Foston Hall 6,045,225 6,578,212 7,857,140 
			 Frankland 26,165,447 29,118,142 32,131,898 
			 Full Sutton 24,773,246 26,386,702 25,664,941 
			 Garth 13,576,683 14,617,993 15,522,885 
			 Gartree 8,907,622 10,526,748 11,321,333 
			 Glen Parva 17,838,628 18,973,061 19,572,205 
			 Gloucester 7,925,897 8,838,004 9,427,751 
			 Grendon 11,834,438 14,095,177 14,704,902 
			 Guys Marsh 8,984,586 10,274,249 9,851,988 
			 Haslar 3,430,226 4,184,601 4,269,224 
			 Haverigg 9,846,313 11,207,604 11,714,695 
			 Hewell Grange 3,073,260 3,647,648 3,917,925 
			 Highdown 18,620,299 18,342,968 18,931,089 
			 Edmunds Hill  10,166,109 9,962,096 
			 Highpoint 18,628,779 13,421,206 14,034,826 
			 Hindley 17,104,335 18,631,029 18,645,130 
			 Hollesley Bay 14,900,730 6,936,001 6,873,865 
			 Holloway 24,950,875 24,503,393 25,575,086 
			 Holme House 18,220,248 19,642,584 20,527,752 
			 Hull 17,551,047 21,767,681 22,285,797 
			 Huntercombe 12,126,323 13,683,795 14,580,860 
			 Kingston 5,133,177 5,263,066 5,515,193 
			 Kirkham 11,292,357 11,834,765 13,179,918 
			 Kirklevington Grange 3,088,564 3,739,041 3,935,712 
			 Lancaster Castle 6,137,630 6,560,739 7,139,154 
			 Lancaster Farms 13,087,839 15,402,635 16,682,160 
			 Latchmere House 3,419,175 3,795,789 3,439,878 
			 Leeds 24,161,348 25,793,017 25,289,014 
			 Leicester 8,402,450 9,321,911 9,733,096 
			 Lewes 10,262,873 12,151,241 12,471,889 
			 Leyhill 9,761,621 10,238,611 11,042,872 
			 Lincoln 13,468,973 14,168,126 13,671,497 
			 Lindholme 16,782,005 17,181,143 19,278,106 
			 Littlehey 10,532,341 11,569,348 12,271,304 
			 Liverpool 26,779,122 29,081,193 28,102,218 
			 Long Lartin 20,297,349 21,759,327 21,227,384 
			 Low Newton 8,027,668 9,530,831 9,571,447 
			 Maidstone 11,094,821 11,439,739 11,293,615 
			 Manchester 25,453,776 28,452,774 29,740,822 
			 Moorland 20,902,463 22,199,673 22,512,870 
			 Morton Hall 6,514,375 8,265,011 7,915,508 
			 Mount (The) 12,808,539 14,103,646 14,259,835 
			 New Hall 11,888,471 14,575,159 15,352,984 
			 North Sea Camp 4,446,814 4,615,385 4,937,493 
			 Northallerton 5,273,815 5,974,079 6,084,423 
			 Norwich 15,229,088 16,123,860 16,645,920 
			 Nottingham 11,178,582 12,353,040 12,965,515 
			 Onley 14,770,000 15,865,978 14,813,252 
			 Parkhurst 13,259,482 14,777,153 14,873,068 
			 Pentonville 25,047,521 26,329,862 27,808,745 
			 Portland 11,106,772 12,553,777 12,708,963 
			 Preston 14,005,563 15,197,436 16,043,797 
			 Ranby 14,269,727 16,128,716 18,864,003 
			 Reading 7,080,270 8,495,684 8,269,538 
			 Risley 18,221,821 20,722,667 20,477,940 
			 Rochester 8,601,059 8,694,79 9,434,344 
			 Send 4,973,567 6,074,95 5,927,005 
			 Shepton Mallet 4,990,999 5,630,381 5,361,730 
			 Shrewsbury 7,340,719 7,848,80 8,229,798 
			 Stafford 12,305,29 13,225,25 13,908,420 
			 Standford Hill 8,107,638 8,436,240 8,886,705 
			 Stocken 10,199,203 11,221,791 11,341,130 
			 Stoke Heath 15,705,333 17,394,796 18,110,822 
			 Styal 11,529,555 13,371,178 14,226,049 
			 Sudbury 7,700,779 8,599,754 8,554,575 
			 Swaleside 13,776,388 14,746,329 15,222,670 
			 Swansea 8,219,128 8,988,412 9,493,789 
			 Swinfen Hall 7,860,939 8,609,410 13,310,927 
			 Thorn Cross 7,370,209 8,081,102 8,802,198 
			 Usk 7,171,809 7,951,780 8,173,464 
			 Verne (The) 10,002,290 10,343,170 10,113,137 
			 Wakefield 20,955,508 21,875,455 22,999,359 
			 Wandsworth 27,936,164 30,949,361 34,342,583 
			 Warren Hill  9,486,156 9,843,446 
			 Wayland 10,818,403 11,602,260 11,789,296 
			 Wealstun 11,659,314 13,663,460 16,543,704 
			 Weare (The) 7,920,458 8,463,374 8,177,636 
			 Wellingborough 9,306,369 10,427,925 10,914,454 
			 Werrington 5,820,567 6,360,411 6,862,585 
			 Wetherby 10,161,472 11,743,631 12,554,959 
			 Whatton 5,783,699 7,021,856 7,593,862 
			 Whitemoor 24,138,779 24,942,489 25,976,815 
			 Winchester 13,206,337 14,938,932 15,563,780 
			 Woodhill 23,631,597 26,427,000 27,901,035 
			 Wormwood Scrubs 24,691,189 28,870,885 28,952,573 
			 Wymott 15,501,820 17,605,373 20,838,883 
			 
			 Contracted prisons
			 Altcourse 32,154,593 31,158,524 (65)N/A 
			 Ashfield 9,820,999 13,040,682 N/A 
			 Bronzefield(66)   N/A 
			 Doncaster 19,252,815 19,097,051 N/A 
			 Dovegate 24,511,442 22,287,437 N/A 
			 Forest Bank 20,821,813 20,863,919 N/A 
			 Lowdham Grange 13,159,649 12,347,364 N/A 
			 Pare 31,322,995 31,240,577 N/A 
			 Peterborough(67)   N/A 
			 Rye Hill 14,103,266 14,202,366 N/A 
			 The Wolds 8,504,900 6,776,755 N/A 
		
	
	(65)Costs for contracted prisons for 2004/05 are not yet available.
	(66)Bronzefield opened in June 2004.
	(67)Peterborough opened on 31 March 2005
	
		Table 2: Average population of prison establishments, by establishment England and Wales
		
			  200203 200304 200405 
		
		
			 Public prisons
			 Acklington 771 852 863 
			 Albany 440 506 514 
			 Ashwell 494 529 531 
			 Askham Grange 129 125 112 
			 Aylesbury 348 346 361 
			 Bedford 459 476 491 
			 Belmarsh 874 890 907 
			 Birmingham 920 1,144 1,381 
			 Blakenhurst 864 875 879 
			 Blantyre House 119 120 117 
			 Blundeston 430 457 456 
			 Brinsford 457 455 444 
			 Bristol 603 586 592 
			 Brixton 781 795 825 
			 Brockhill 157 146 133 
			 Buckley Hall 252 299 329 
			 Bullingdon 923 946 957 
			 Bullwood Hall 169 154 150 
			 Camp Hill 536 565 570 
			 Canterbury 302 297 295 
			 Cardiff 664 670 705 
			 Castington 326 274 362 
			 Channings Wood 613 635 648 
			 Chelmsford 564 573 574 
			 Coldingley 378 386 384 
			 CookhamWood 129 133 150 
			 Dartmoor 613 607 608 
			 Deerbolt 446 447 450 
			 Dorchester 245 235 227 
			 Dover 180 286 261 
			 Downview 226 211 217 
			 Drake Hall 261 289 284 
			 Durham 706 707 679 
			 East Sutton Park 90 95 97 
			 Eastwood Park 296 282 291 
			 Edmunds Hill  236 134 
			 Elmley 962 978 959 
			 Erlestoke 351 410 418 
			 Everthorpe 372 444 458 
			 Exeter 505 522 516 
			 Featherstone 607 612 606 
			 Feltham 657 654 633 
			 Ford 497 507 521 
			 Foston Hall 216 221 224 
			 Frankland 649 652 682 
			 Full Sutton 601 604 601 
			 Garth 649 649 654 
			 Gartree 281 337 410 
			 Glen Parva 776 768 730 
			 Gloucester 313 299 294 
			 Grendon 464 540 520 
			 Guys Marsh 529 557 544 
			 Haslar 131 133 124 
			 Haverigg 544 553 550 
			 Hewell Grange 182 169 163 
			 High Down 724 733 742 
			 Highpoint 872 739 806 
			 Hindley 507 504 461 
			 Hollesley Bay 424 306 266 
			 Hollesley Bay/Warren Hill
			 Holloway 481 467 418 
			 Holme House 979 979 955 
			 Hull 793 1,022 1,059 
			 Huntercombe 346 321 351 
			 Kingston 187 161 138 
			 Kirkham 482 526 505 
			 Kirklevington 181 217  
			 Lancaster 237 237 221 
			 Lancaster Farms 478 465 491 
			 Latchmere House 188 193 199 
			 Leeds 1,244 1,246 1,230 
			 Leicester 362 380 357 
			 Lewes 510 498 508 
			 Leyhill 425 499 487 
			 Lincoln 452 462 450 
			 Lindholme 724 710 705 
			 Littlehey 651 665 692 
			 Liverpool 1,444 1,438 1,392 
			 Long Lartin 430 432 428 
			 Low Newton 275 282 289 
			 Maidstone 500 536 544 
			 Manchester 1,253 1,251 1,226 
			 Moorland Open (Hatfield) 183   
			 Moorland 768 994 996 
			 Morton Hall 251 332 328 
			 New Hall 348 361 349 
			 North Sea Camp 266 290 276 
			 Northallerton 201 208 197 
			 Norwich 743 721 749 
			 Nottingham 530 534 501 
			 Onley 519 478 505 
			 Parkhurst 506 494 485 
			 Pentonville 1,203 1,198 1,201 
			 Portland 436 446 449 
			 Preston 642 664 623 
			 Ranby 752 799 860 
			 Reading 263 261 259 
			 Risley 897 1,055 1,054 
			 Rochester 162 201 349 
			 Send 215 215 214 
			 Shepton Mallet 186 185 184 
			 Shrewsbury 333 338 302 
			 Stafford 630 637 667 
			 Standford Hill 392 426 437 
			 Stocken 577 616 614 
			 Stoke Heath 629 619 635 
			 Styal 432 424 387 
			 Sudbury 506 539 542 
			 Swaleside 769 771 774 
			 Swansea 362 345 348 
			 Swinfen Hall 313 313 408 
			 Mount 754 757 727 
			 Verne 581 581 577 
			 Weare 384 376 366 
			 Thorn Cross 208 208 261 
			 UskPrescoed 328 392 409 
			 Wakefield 570 563 553 
			 Wandsworth 1,457 1,456 1,459 
			 Warren Hill  173 204 
			 Wayland 659 697 692 
			 Wealstun 587 596 693 
			 Wellingborough 520 519 516 
			 Werrington 130 123 133 
			 Wetherby 343 303 317 
			 Whatton 290 352 355 
			 Whitemoor 419 418 430 
			 Winchester 618 626 636 
			 Woodhill 754 772 767 
			 Wormwood Scrubs 1,214 1,214 1,236 
			 Wymott 810 841 1,023 
			 
			 Contracted prisons
			 Altcourse 981 996 958 
			 Ashfield 267 277 292 
			 Bronzefield(68) N/A N/A 281 
			 Doncaster 1,122 11,109 1,098 
			 Dovegate 754 849 831 
			 Forest Bank 1,011 1,002 1,021 
			 Lowdham Grange 518 521 510 
			 Pare 975 980 995 
			 Peterborough(69) N/A N/A 1 
			 Rye Hill 656 656 639 
			 Wolds 381 344 345 
		
	
	(68)Bronzefield opened in June 2004
	(69)Peterborough opened on 31 March 2005

Prisons/Prisoners

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 13 June 2005, Official Report, column 170W, on prisons, whether female prison officers are required to perform rub down searches on male prisoners under their contract of employment.

Fiona Mactaggart: Under their terms and conditions of employment all prison officers must comply with national policy set out in Prison Service Orders (PSOs) and Prison Service Instructions (PSIs). Policy on searching is set out in PSO 1000, which allows for female prison officers rub down search a male prisoner.

Prisons/Prisoners

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many uniformed prison officers were employed at each prison in (a) 1992 and (b) 2005.

Fiona Mactaggart: Due to a change of computer system during 199596 reliable data on staffing are not available prior to April 1997. At 30 June 2005, 24,180 officer grade staff (prison officers, senior officers and principal officers) were employed at public sector prison establishments (excluding Headquarters). A breakdown by each establishment is contained in the following table. Information on staffing levels within prisons managed by the private sector is not collected centrally in this form and is therefore not available.
	
		
			 Prison name Prison officer Senior officer Principal officer Total officers 
		
		
			 Acklington 182 31 6 219 
			 Albany 114 26 6 146 
			 Ashwell 79 22 6 107 
			 Askham Grange 27 5 2 34 
			 Aylesbury 138 34 8 180 
			 Bedford 116 21 5 142 
			 Belmarsh 407 82 19 508 
			 Birmingham 402 71 27 500 
			 Blakenhurst 197 37 14 248 
			 Blantyre House 24 6 1 31 
			 Blundeston 119 23 7 149 
			 Brinsford 176 42 11 229 
			 Bristol 218 36 13 267 
			 Brixton 175 39 15 229 
			 Brockhill 68 17 5 90 
			 BuckleyHall 96 19 6 121 
			 Bullingdon 188 37 15 240 
			 Bullwood Hall 65 14 3 82 
			 Camp Hill 125 28 6 159 
			 Canterbury 81 19 6 106 
			 Cardiff 208 37 11 256 
			 Castington 175 39 9 223 
			 Channings Wood 132 27 10 169 
			 Chelmsford 142 34 9 185 
			 Coldingley 67 21 5 93 
			 Cookham Wood 70 11 2 83 
			 Dartmoor 133 27 9 169 
			 Deerbolt 143 30 9 182 
			 Dorchester 76 17 10 103 
			 Dover 82 22 4 108 
			 Downview 106 22 7 135 
			 Drake Hall 72 15 4 91 
			 Durham 265 43 17 325 
			 East Sutton Park 21 3  24 
			 Eastwood Park 99 18 8 125 
			 Edmunds Hill 91 21 6 118 
			 Elmley 200 43 13 256 
			 Erlestoke 91 14 8 113 
			 Everthorpe 126 29 6 161 
			 Exeter 140 36 12 188 
			 Featherstone 112 20 11 143 
			 Feltham 339 69 23 431 
			 Ford 45 11 5 61 
			 Foston Hall 85 14 5 104 
			 Frankland 493 74 19 586 
			 Full Sutton 399 68 20 487 
			 Garth 179 35 11 225 
			 Gartree 129 27 7 163 
			 Glen Parva 208 44 13 265 
			 Gloucester 91 19 6 116 
			 Grendon 127 28 10 165 
			 Guys Marsh 111 18 6 135 
			 Haslar 43 8 2 53 
			 Haverigg 102 20 10 132 
			 Hewell Grange 22 6 2 30 
			 High Down 172 39 10 221 
			 Highpoint 149 29 6 184 
			 Hindley 174 39 11 224 
			 Hollesley Bay 40 7 3 50 
			 Holloway 209 40 16 265 
			 Holme House 253 38 13 304 
			 Hull 270 54 17 341 
			 Huntercombe 112 29 8 149 
			 Kingston 52 13 5 70 
			 Kirkham 74 16 8 98 
			 Kirklevington Grange 38 5 2 45 
			 Lancaster 64 17 5 86 
			 Lancaster Farms 191 40 11 242 
			 Latchmere House 30 6 1 37 
			 Leeds 340 57 13 410 
			 Leicester 105 20 5 130 
			 Lewes 133 31 6 170 
			 Leyhill 52 13 7 72 
			 Lincoln 153 35 9 197 
			 Lindholme 162 37 10 209 
			 Littlehey 123 24 7 154 
			 Liverpool 354 56 17 427 
			 Long Lartin 284 51 24 359 
			 Low Newton 120 20 8 148 
			 Maidstone 116 26 10 152 
			 Manchester 369 88 28 485 
			 Moorland 266 47 14 327 
			 Morton Hall 91 20 4 115 
			 New Hall 151 30 10 191 
			 North Sea Camp 38 8 3 49 
			 Northallerton 50 8 3 61 
			 Norwich 202 26 8 236 
			 Nottingham 152 33 8 193 
			 Onley 141 34 10 185 
			 Parkhurst 152 30 8 190 
			 Pentonville 327 53 18 398 
			 Portland 134 29 8 171 
			 Preston 185 37 11 233 
			 Ranby 227 36 14 277 
			 Reading 92 20 6 118 
			 Risley 230 37 11 278 
			 Rochester 115 22 7 144 
			 Send 62 16 4 82 
			 Shepton Mallet 47 11 5 63 
			 Shrewsbury 84 16 8 108 
			 Stafford 125 30 8 163 
			 Standford Hill 58 21 4 83 
			 Stocken 115 29 8 152 
			 Stoke Heath 194 42 13 249 
			 Styal 153 26 7 186 
			 Sudbury 52 13 6 71 
			 Swaleside 203 41 14 258 
			 Swansea 125 23 7 155 
			 Swinfen Hall 161 31 11 203 
			 The Mount 111 25 8 144 
			 The Verne 84 19 9 112 
			 Thorn Cross 82 21 9 112 
			 Usk/Prescoed 73 15 5 93 
			 Wakefield 308 57 16 381 
			 Wandsworth 313 50 21 384 
			 Warren Hill 125 21 8 154 
			 Wayland 119 23 7 149 
			 Wealstun 151 36 9 196 
			 Weare 80 18 5 103 
			 Wellingborough 128 25 6 159 
			 Werrington 61 15 5 81 
			 Wetherby 127 30 6 163 
			 Whatton 80 17 9 106 
			 Whitemoor 367 74 25 466 
			 Winchester 172 29 8 209 
			 Woodhill 340 72 18 430 
			 Wormwood Scrubs 263 45 19 327 
			 Wymott 204 36 13 253 
			 Total 19,180 3,806 1,194 24,180

Prisons/Prisoners

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) prison governors and (b) prison officers have been investigated for accessing pornography on the internet in each month since January; and if he will make a statement.

Fiona Mactaggart: The following data is for all investigations relating to the misuse of IT. The figure in brackets relates solely to the use/distribution of pornography on the Prison Service IT system. Some investigations are generic and refer to the inappropriate use of the email system by sending inappropriate material. Investigations are not grade sensitive.
	
		
			 2005 Number 
		
		
			 January 1 
			 February 4 
			 March 1 
			 April 3 
			 May 4 (3) 
			 June 5 (3) 
			 14 July 3

Prisons/Prisoners

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) governors, (b) prison officers and (c) inmates have been found with drugs at each prison establishment in each month since January; and if he will make a statement.

Fiona Mactaggart: The information is not available in the form requested. To provide the information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Probation Staff

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance has been given to the national probation service regarding the level of qualification of staff necessary to produce (a) pre-sentence, (b) short format and (c) fast delivery reports.

Fiona Mactaggart: The National Probation Directorate issued guidance on the provision of reports to court in Probation Circular 18/2005. There are now two types of report:
	Fast Delivery PSR
	Normally to be completed on the day, which is the aim whenever possible, but may be completed in up to five days, usually without a full OASys assessment.
	Standard Delivery Pre-Sentence Report (PSR)
	For completion on adjournment based on a full OASys assessment.
	Fast Delivery PSRs are currently completed by probation officers and probation service officers.
	Standard Delivery PSRs require a full assessment using OASys and including a full risk of harm assessment. These can only be done by probation officers who have received appropriate training.
	In all probation areas a probation officer has to provide approval if there are significant risk of harm issues.

Race Crime

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to deal with race crime, with particular reference to attacks on Jewish cemeteries in East London.

Paul Goggins: The Government are committed to tackling all forms of racism wherever it exists and deplore anti-Semitic attacks such as the recent desecration of Jewish cemeteries in East London. These incidents are the subject of police investigation. The Government and police are aware of the concerns of the Jewish community and we continue to monitor the situation carefully in co-operation with community organisations.
	Specific offences with increased maximum penalties for racially aggravated violence, harassment and criminal damage were introduced in the Crime and Disorder Act 1998; and work to prioritise hate crime continues across the criminal justice system.

Rape (Essex)

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many allegations of rape were made to Essex police in (a) 2001, (b) 2002, (c) 2003 and (d) 2004; how many (i) remain unsolved and (ii) were subsequently withdrawn by the accuser, broken down by year of allegation; in how many cases it was established that a rape had taken place, broken down by year of allegation; how many malicious allegations of rape were made in each year; how many convictions for rape there were in each year; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: holding answer 11 July 2005
	The information is not available in the form requested. No statistics are collected centrally on the number of allegations, the number which were malicious or the number which are subsequently withdrawn by the accuser.
	The available information relates to offences of rape recorded by the police in the Essex police force area and those which were detected. The information is on a financial year basis and is given in Table 1. Because of the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard in April 2002, figures before and after that date are not comparable.
	Table 2 gives the number of defendants proceeded against at all courts for rape. It contains details on the number of defendants proceeded against, those where the case was discontinued, discharged or withdrawn together with those found guilty. This information is on a calendar year basis.
	Because Table 1 relates to recorded offences and Table 2 relates to persons, the two sets of data are not directly comparable.
	
		Table 1: Recorded offences of rape in Essex, 200102 to 200304
		
			  Number recorded Detected Undetected 
		
		
			 200102
			 Rape of a male 12 5 7 
			 Rape of a female 190 62 128 
			 200203
			 Rape of a male 13 8 5 
			 Rape of a female 281 85 196 
			 200304
			 Rape of a male 19 3 16 
			 Rape of a female 316 93 223 
		
	
	(70)The National Crime Recording Standard was introduced in April 2002 and figures before and after that date are not comparable.
	
		Table 2: Number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts for rape in Essex police force area, 200103(71)
		
			  Magistrates court Crown court(73) 
			  Proceeded against Discontinued Discharged Withdrawn Guilty(72) Committed for trial Not tried Acquitted Guilty 
		
		
			 2001  
			 Rape of a male 3 12
			 Rape of a female 44 5 4 1  34  12 9 
			 2002  
			 Rape of a male 2 2
			 Rape of a female 58  3  1 54  1 7 
			 2003  
			 Rape of a male 1 1  1  
			 Rape of a female 51 1 1   49 2 18 7 
		
	
	(71)These data are on the principal offence basis
	(72)Juvenile found guilty at the Youth court
	(73)Cases where a trial for a rape offence is reduced to a non-rape offence will not be included here.

Re-offenders

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of (a) female and (b) male offenders re-offended within 12 months of being released in each year since 1997.

Fiona Mactaggart: Actual re-offending rates are not available, we have shown reconviction rates which are a commonly used proxy.
	The figures shown are the combined actual one-year reconviction rates for adults and juveniles discharged from custody. 2001 is the latest year for which data is currently available.
	Reconviction rates should be used with caution as a number of different factors can influence them. Reconviction rates can be adjusted to take account of the changing characteristics of offenders and these adjusted rates are published annually on the Home Office's research website (http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/index.htm).

Satellite Tagging

Dan Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the outcome of trials of satellite tagging of paedophiles and other offenders.

Fiona Mactaggart: A pilot of the satellite tracking of offenders started in three areas in September 2004 and is still continuing. Sex offenders are among the categories of offender being tracked. The pilots are being evaluated by a team of researchers from Birmingham university, who have been asked to submit their report by the end of March 2006

Security Services

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many complaints have been made to the relevant Tribunal or Commissioner in relation to the actions of the Security Service since the enactment of the Security Services Acts and the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000; and how many complainants had their complaint upheld in each year.

Hazel Blears: The records of the Tribunal (the Security Service Tribunal) established under the Security Service Act 1989 show that the number of complaints it received and those referred to the Commissioner (the Security Service Commissioner) were as follows:
	
		Table 1
		
			   Date  Number of complaints received by Tribunal Number of complaints referred to the Commissioner in accordance with Paragraph 4(1) of Schedule 1 of the 1989 Act 
		
		
			 198990 55 22 
			 1991 29 16 
			 1992 25 5 
			 1993 36 14 
			 1994 42 19 
			 1995 21 13 
			 1996 34 10 
			 1997 45 15 
			 1998 28 24 
			 19992000 22 12 
		
	
	No complaints were upheld.
	The Tribunal (the Investigatory Powers Tribunal) established under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA) came into being on 2 October 2000. From that date the Investigatory Powers Tribunal assumed responsibility for the jurisdiction previously held by, amongst others, the Security Service Tribunal.
	In his annual reports to the Prime Minister, the Interception of Communications Commissioner has explained that complaints to the Investigatory Powers Tribunal cannot be easily categorised under the three tribunal system that existed prior to the 2000 Act RIPA (ie. The Interception of Communications Tribunal, the Security Service Tribunal and the Intelligence Services Tribunal). Consequently it is not possible to detail the number of complaints lodged with the Investigatory Powers Tribunal that would have been considered previously by the Security Service Tribunal.
	The total number of complaints received by the Investigatory Powers Tribunal is as follows.
	
		Table 2
		
			  Date Number of complaints to the Investigatory Powers Tribunal 
		
		
			 2000(74) 11 
			 2001 91 
			 2002 130 
			 2003 109 
			 2004 (75) 
		
	
	(74)First three months of operation.
	(75)Figures to be published shortly in the Interception of Communications Commissioner's Annual Report for 2004.
	Of the 341 complaints reported, on no occasion did the Investigatory Powers Tribunal conclude that there had been a contravention of RIPA or the Human Rights Act 1989. Consequently no complaints were upheld.
	The Investigatory Powers Tribunal, like the Security Service Tribunal before it, is a wholly independent body made up of senior members of the legal profession.

Sexual Offences Act

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the Answer of 7 July 2005, Official Report, column 589W, on the Sexual Offences Act, if he will set out the recorded crime data relating to section 15 for the period from 1 May 2004 to 31 March 2005; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: Further to my answer of 7 July, Iconfirm that the recorded crime data in relation to section 15 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 will be available from 21 July 2005; the data is not available prior to that date of publication.

Work Permits

Humfrey Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many work permits were issued in each of the last three years to individuals to work in the information technology sector; how many persons granted a permit (a) failed to return to their country of origin on its expiry and (b) were notified by the company concerned to his Department as having failed to return.

Tony McNulty: The total number of work permits issued in each of the last three years to employers based in the UK in respect of permit applications made to recruit overseas nationals for work related to the 'computer services' was:
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 200203 517,057 
			 200304 18,631 
			 200405 21,646 
		
	
	These figures relate to all jobs in the sector, not just for those in information technology. However, it may be the case that not all the overseas nationals issued with a work permit were successful in gaining entry clearance to take up their employment in the UK.
	Information is not available on the number of work permit holders who have failed to return to their country of origin. In addition we are not able to provide information on the notifications received by companies about permit holders who have either not taken up their employment or where their employment has ceased.
	The Five Year Strategy for Asylum and Immigration announced on 7 February set out the Government's intention to place obligations on the sponsors of migrants, including an intention to require employers to report if a migrant leaves the employment for which they were admitted.
	Moreover, the Government have announced their plans to introduce an e-Borders (electronic borders) programme. e-Borders is a medium to long-term multi-agency initiative to re-shape the United Kingdom's border protection structure. It is co-ordinated by the Home Office Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) in partnership with key border control, law enforcement and intelligence agencies: HM Customs and Revenue, the Intelligence Agencies, the Police Service and UK Visas. Other Departments and agencies such as the Department of Work and Pensions and the Passport Service are involved as major beneficiaries of the e-Borders concept.
	The concept is based upon identifying and checking passengers and their travel credentials well in advance of their commencing travel to, or from, the UK rather than making these checks at the end of their journey. The full e-Borders system is expected to process passenger information on flights arriving in and departing from the UK at all major ports by 2010. e-borders is initially being trialled as Project Semaphore.
	The information that is captured of every passenger passing into or out of the UK will, for the first time, give us specific information on who is in or out of the UK, and for how long and under what status or conditions. This information will be available to other parts of IND, the Home Office and other Government Departments.

Women's Royal Voluntary Service

Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent change there has been in the financial assistance provided to the Women's Royal Voluntary Service; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: Table 1 shows the Home Office grant in aid payments and planned payments to the Women's Royal Voluntary Service (WRVS) from 1995 to 2008.
	An independent review in 1997 identified that WRVS' financial dependence on Government and restrictions on its property holdings were major barriers to its goals of modernisation and independence.
	To help achieve these goals it was agreed with WRVS that the grant in aid be reduced over 10 years to 1 million a year by 200708, a level that is commensurate with that of other large voluntary sector strategic grant recipients, and that the reversionary interest in the properties held on trust be transferred to WRVS absolutely.
	
		Table 1: Home Office grant in aid to WRVS, 19952008
		
			 Financial year 000 
		
		
			 199596 6,200 
			 199697 5,840 
			 199798 5,548 
			 199899 5,298 
			 19992000 5,048 
			 200001 4,798 
			 200102 4,548 
			 200303 4,223 
			 200304 3,868 
			 200405 3,448 
			 200506 2,943 
			 200607(76) 2,333 
			 200708(76) 1,000 
		
	
	(76)Planned

Women's Royal Voluntary Service

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the reasons for the decision to end grant funding to the Women's Royal Voluntary Service.

Paul Goggins: Table 1 shows the Home Office grant in aid payments and planned payments to the Women's Royal Voluntary Service (WRVS) from 1995 to 2008.
	An independent review in 1997 identified that WRVS' financial dependence on Government and restrictions on its property holdings were major barriers to its goals of modernisation and independence.
	To help achieve these goals it was agreed with WRVSthat the grant in aid be reduced over 10 years to 1 million a year by 200708, a level that is commensurate with that of other large voluntary sector strategic grant recipients, and that the reversionary interest in the properties held on trust be transferred to WRVS absolutely.
	
		Table 1: Home Office grant in aid to WRVS, 199508
		
			 Financial year 000 
		
		
			 199506 6,200 
			 199607 5,840 
			 199708 5,548 
			 199809 5,298 
			 19992000 5,048 
			 200001 4,798 
			 200102 4,548 
			 200203 4,223 
			 200304 3,868 
			 200405 3,448 
			 200506 2,943 
			 200607 (Planned) 2,333 
			 200708 (Planned) 1,000